Meath recorded their third successive round-robin victory at Drogheda tonight, defeating neighbours Louth by 4-14 to 0-12.

The home side tried hard but the Royals' class shone through in the end as they put one step in the provincial semi-finals with two rounds of group games yet to be played. As Louth have only gathered one point from a possible six, they are out of contention for a place in a second successive minor decider.

The competition goes into recess for four weeks now, with Meath hosting Offaly and Louth away to Westmeath on Wednesday, June 27^th.

A more economical away side led by 2-4 to 0-7 at the break, having been outplayed for the opening 20 minutes as they started sluggishly and slipped five points adrift.

It was all Louth early on but Joe Treanor's charges took control of proceedings with a devastating unanswered 2-2 burst between the 22^nd and 25^th minutes, midfielder Cian McBride and full forward Luke Kelly netting in the 22^nd and 24^th minutes respectively.

Louth hung in there for three-quarters of the game but two further Meath goals inside a minute from Luke Mitchell (1-5) and captain Matthew Costello (1-4) finished the match as any kind of a contest.

Cooley's Joe Mee clipped over Louth's fourth successive score to propel the hosts into a deserved 0-6 to 0-1 lead after 21 minutes. That was the Wee County's fourth successive score as Ryan Walsh, Tom Jackson and midfield pair Conal McCaul and Mee all pointed.

Mitchell's second point - from a free off the ground - reduced the arrears and the game then turned when McBride netted for the Royal County after Kelly's initial effort was saved brilliantly by a strong left hand from Martin McEneaney, who quickly denied Conor Farrelly from close range before being beaten by Kelly as the visitors suddenly led by two with six minutes left before the break - 2-2 to 0-6.

Costello tagged on a third Meath point and Walsh's close-range free brought an end to the Royal County's scoring run, but a Mitchell free for Meath closed the first-half scoring as the winners took a three-point lead into the break.

Darragh Swaine extended the gap with the opening score of the second half but Louth replied through a brace of Walsh frees - 2-5 to 0-9.

Cue another Meath purple patch: the two Lukes - Kelly and Mitchell -  combined before the former popped over the visitors' ninth point on 41 minutes followed by an inspirational brace from Costello and a Mitchell free to fire the Royals six clear at the three-quarters juncture.

Mitchell and Costello then each netted within 60 seconds: the former buried the third Meath goal at the end of a neat interchange and Costello's three-pointer made it a twelve-point game: 4-9 to 0-9 after 46 minutes.

Walsh's free in reply barely raised a cheer and Bryan McCormack got his name on the scoresheet for the visitors. Mitchell swept over a free from his hands and Sean Brennan made a super save to deny Craig Lennon a Louth goal, diverting the substitute's shot over the bar.

Outstanding Ardee clubman Jackson powered forward to smack over another lovely Wee County score but substitutes Joe Moore and Brian O'Hanlon and Costello completed the scoring as Meath ran out comfortable 14-point winners.

Meath - S Brennan; J O'Hare, H O'Higgins, C Hickey; C Farrelly, C Harford, S Coffey; A Reilly, C McBride (1-0); D Swaine (0-1), M Costello (1-4), B McCormack (0-1); D Bell, L Kelly (1-1), L Mitchell (1-5, 0-4f). Subs: B O'Hanlon (0-1) for D Bell, O McCloskey for C Harford, A Treanor for B McCormack, J Moore (0-1) for L Kelly, N Bennett for D Swaine, J Dardis for C Hickey.

Louth - M McEneaney; F Lynch, P McEvoy, B Butterly; R Hanlon, C Fleming, G Bell; C McCaul (0-1), J Mee (0-1); T Jackson (0-2), D Nally, C Shevlin (0-1); S Healy, R Walsh (0-5, 4f), J Commins (0-1f). Subs: C Quigley for J Commins, C Lennon (0-1) for C Shevlin, C Faulkner for G Bell, M Begley for J Mee, J Winters for B Butterly, G Stewart for C McCaul.

Referee - F Smyth.

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