Dublin took some time to get going but once they did the gulf in class, once again, was as apparent as it ever was.
Meath had a few things going for them and put in some spirited defence early on but as it progressed, with Dublin maintaining a high tempo and Meath lungs aching, the fears about how ugly this could get were realised.
In the end Dublin ran in three goals, Paul Mannion and Con O’Callaghan adding to Sean Bugler’s first half effort. But it might have five or six as they queued up in the last quarter, Cian Murphy wide and Mannion denied by an Adam O’Neill goal line clearance preventing further leakage.
Dublin used the game to re-integrate some of the old guard. Stephen Cluxton and Mick Fitzsimons were back for their first competitive games since last year’s All-Ireland final while James McCarthy also came off the bench for the first time since the opening league game.
Cluxton especially took time to get his eye in with five of Dublin’s 11 kick-outs not finding their targets in the opening half. But they were much improved after that.
Meath, who also made a goalkeeping change beforehand, introducing Billy Hogan for his championship debut, couldn’t capitalise and their kick-out was crushed after the break, bringing real pressure on the defence.
They had started well, leading by two points before Dublin got on the mark but by the midpoint of the half Dublin were finding a better rhythm.
And on 20 minutes they struck for that goal, punishing a Ronan Jones turnover at one end before quickly sweeping downfield for Ross McGarry to tee up a flying Sean Bugler to beat two tackles and fire past Hogan, though clearly he overcarried in the build up.
A three-point gap, 1-3 to 0-3, quickly became five but Meath got it back to three again before Dublin asserted once more to lead by 1-8 to 0-6 at the break.
For a long time in the second half Meath were able to keep the margin in single figures but Dublin stepped up again in the last quarter with Paddy Small making an impact off the bench.
It was another nail in the coffin for the Leinster championship and with just 21,445 showing up, there was little to engage them.
Scorers – Dublin: P Mannion 1-6 (0-3fs), C O’Callaghan 1-2 (0-1m), C Kilkenny 0-3, S Bugler 1-0, J Small, C Basquel 0-2 each, P Small, N Scully (m), C Murphy, C Costello 0-1 each.
Meath: E Frayne (2fs), J Morris 0-3 each, B Hogan (45), R Jones (m), C Caulfield, D Campion, J Conlon, M Costello (f) all 0-1 each.
Dublin: S Cluxton; E Murchan, M Fitzsimons, C Murphy; S Bugler, J Small, S McMahon; T Lahiff, B Howard; R McGarry, C Basquel, C Kilkenny; P Mannion, C O’Callaghan, N Scully.
Subs: J McCarthy for Basquel (50), P Small for Howard (52), K McGinnis for McGarry (61), C Costello for Mannion (61), P Ó Cofaigh Byrne for J Small (66)
Meath: B Hogan; A O’Neill, D Keogan, H O’Higgins; S Coffey, R Ryan, C Caulfield; R Jones, D McGowan; D Campion, M Costello, C Hickey; J Morris, E Frayne, J Conlon. Subs: J O’Connor for Campion (h-t), C McBride for McGowan (45), R Kinsella for Morris (58), K Curtis for Ryan (58), A Lynch for Conlon (62)
Referee: T Murphy (Galway)
2024-04-14 17:27:33
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