Minor footballers make it a Leinster double

DUBLIN 2-18 MEATH 1-11

Dublin secured their first Leinster minor championship double since 1954 when they footballers followed up on last weekend’s hurling success by outclassing Meath in Sunday’s Leinster decider at Croke Park.

Dessie Farrell’s side grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half with Cormac Costello’s 39th minute goal putting significant daylight between the as Dublin moved 2-12 to 1-7 clear.

Dublin’s second half play was more pursposeful than in the opening half with Jack McCaffrey and Gavin Ivory leading by example as the Dubs captured their 30th provincial title.

McCaffrey cut through the Meath cover to fire over two excellent points early in the second half as the Dubs combined with potency.

The opening half was a far more even content with a 20th minute goal from Brian McMahon exploting slack marking in the Dublin defence to give the Royals a 1-5 to 0-5 lead.

But four minutes later Scott Fulham crashed the ball to the net following a great fetch at midfield by Emmett O Conghaile and clever approach play by Ivory who unselfishly released the ball to Fulham.

Crucially it was the Dubs who finished the first half on the up with O Conghaile kicking two superb points to lead 1-9 to 1-6 at the interval, the first from a pass from Paul Mannion and the second following some very disciplined defence by Dublin and Rutherson Real in particular

SCORERS – Dublin: G Ivory 0-6 (0-1 ‘45’), C Costello, S Fulham 1-2 each, J McCaffrey, E O Conghaile, P Mannion, C Kilkenny (0-1f) 0-2 each. Meath: B McMahon 1-3 (0-2f), A Forde, C Finn, D Smith, C O’Sullivan, N Shorthall (0-1f), W McGrath, C Smith, S Mattimoe 0-1 each.
DUBLIN – R O’Hanlon; H Hannigan, R McDaid, R Real; E Lowndes, J Small, J McCaffrey; P O’Higgins, E Ó Conaghaile; C Costello, G Ivory, D Campbell; S Fulham, P Mannion, C Kilkenny. Subs: S Carthy for Campbell (48), E Archbold for Fulham (60), E Boyne for Lowndes (60), R Noonan for Ó Conghaile (62).
MEATH – R Burlingham; C Finn, B McConnon, O Fitzpatrick; A Forde, S Melia, D Smith; P Harnan, S McEntee; N Shorthall, B O’Brien, C O’Sullivan; B McMahon, C Smith, W McGrath. Subs: R Farrelly for C Smith (h-t), S Cannon for Forde (39), S Mattimoe for Shorthall (39), O Sheridan for D Smith (48), S Sheridan for McGrath (56).
REF – F Kelly (Longford).