Dublin 0-15
Meath 0-12

Dublin were forced to work hard, before securing a three-point win over Meath in the Electric Ireland Leinster MFC at a sunny Parnell Park this afternoon.

In ideal conditions, the sides were level on six occasions in the opening 38 minutes, but Dublin showed greater composure in the second half.

Ballymun Kickhams teenager Conor Kavanagh nailed five points from frees in the second half for the hosts, as the Metropolitans advanced to a semi-final against Offaly.

Earlier, Meath were more composed in the opening half with Sydden clubman Daire Rowe claiming the first score after just 15 seconds.

Eoghan McHugh equalised 90 seconds later, and although Meath regained the lead through Jordan McLoughlin, Dublin worked hard to get on top.

Scores from Jack Burke and Colaiste Eoin Leinster winning captain Con O'Callaghan saw the hosts move 0-3 to 0-2 ahead by the 14th minute.

Into the breeze Dublin had registered four wides at this stage, with O'Callaghan lacking composure on placed balls.

Meath began to get on top at midfield and moved ahead at the start of the second quarter, following scores from Ronan Jones and Rowe.

Dylan Brady's opening point in the 19th minute saw the Royals take a 0-5 to 0-3 lead, but they failed to push on.

Both sides had goal opportunities in the 20th minutes, firstly Rowe for Meath, as Eiven Whelan marshalled well between the posts.

Rian McBride and O'Callaghan combined well for Dublin, but Ronan McDonagh put in an excellent challenge to dispossess the Cuala clubman.

Dublin came again, but Glenn O'Reilly blazed wide, for his sides seventh wide of the half.

Burke cut the gap with his second point of the half, and although Rowe restored Meath's two-point lead in the 22nd minute, it was the Royals final score of the half.

Dublin fired three unanswered points before the break, with Andrew Foley, Burke and O'Callaghan on target, as they took a 0-7 to 0-6 half-time lead.

Dylan Brady equalised for Meath inside 20 seconds of the restart, but Dublin seemed to have that extra edge.

O'Callaghan and Kavanagh fired points, and although a brace of Rowe scores saw Meath equalise at 0-9 all in the 38th minute, this was as close as the Royals would get.

Dublin lost their full-back Shane Clayton at this stage on a black card, but continued to work hard.

Kavanagh nailed a brace of frees, while efforts from Darren Heaney and Ronan Jones for Meath were snuffed out.

Padraig McGowan claimed a well earned point for the Royals to break a nine-minute spell without a score.

It came after a good team move, with captain Kyle Dixon; Jordan McLoughlin, Shane Comiskey and Rowe involved in the build-up.

Dublin continued to shade the lead, with Foley's second point ensuring a 0-12 to 0-10 lead with 10 minutes left on the clock.

Meath bagged two of the next three points, with a Heaney score cut the gap to the minimum with three minutes remaining.

But Dublin were strongest in the closing stages, as points from substitute Chris Sallier, and a fifth Kavanagh score ensured a three-point win.

Dublin: Eiven Whelan; Cian Murphy, Shane Clayton, Declan Monahan; Andrew McGowan, Jack Mullins, Glenn O'Reilly; Andrew Foley (0-2), Eoghan McHugh (0-1); Jack Burke (0-3), Conor Kavanagh (0-5, 5f), Colm Basquel; Rian McBride, Con O'Callaghan (0-3), Brian Howard. Subs: Aodhan Fee for Mullins (26); Warren Egan for Howard (37); Eoin Murchan for Clayton (BC 38); Chris Sallier (0-1) for McBride (48); Aaron Byrne for O'Reilly (BC 59)

Meath: Johnny Lynch; Ronan McDonagh, Charley Bird, Dan Ormsby; Jordan McLoughlin (0-1), Brian Harnan, Ross Ryan; Kyle Dixon, Ronan Jones (0-1, 1f); Shane Comiskey, Darren Heaney (0-1, 1f), Dylan Brady (0-2); James Cullen, Daire Rowe (0-6, 3f), David McLoughlin. Subs: Gavin McGowan for Bird (HT); Padraig McGowan (0-1) for D McLoughlin (43); Jack O'Connor for McDonagh (52); Thomas McGuinness for J McLoughlin (55); Thomas O'Reilly for Heaney (58); Ben Hoey for Cullen (59).

Ref: Patrick Maguire (Longford) Tweet

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