Meath were a class apart against Carlow at Dr Cullen Park today, winning this one-sided Leinster quarter-final by 7-13 to 0-6.

With 4,800 spectators looking on, this was a glorified turkey shoot and a game that will realistically be of little benefit to either team.

The match was over as a contest by half time and arguably the biggest talking point of the second half - apart from Mickey Newman's hat-trick of goals - was the intervention of a streaker, who came onto the field and executed a chin-up on one of the crossbars.

Winners by 28 points, Mick O'Dowd's charges will face a different calibre of opposition in Kildare at Croke Park in a fortnight's time, while Carlow's confidence has taken a huge hit ahead of their Qualifier clash with Waterford in 13 days.

At the end of a poor opening quarter, Meath were in front by the odd point from three but they kicked on to lead by 13 at the break, 3-6 to 0-2.

Points from Newman and Andrew Tormey had the visitors ahead by 0-2 to no score after a low-key opening ten minutes.

Paul Broderick opened Carlow's account from a '45' in the 18th minute and the same player added their second - from play - in the 28th minute to reduce the gap to five points, 1-4 to 0-2.

After a super run by centre back Donal Keogan, Newman had smashed the opening Royal County goal to the bottom left corner from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute, either side of points from Shane O'Rourke and Donnacha Tobin.

Damien Carroll's 33rd-minute point increased the gap to six and the Royals surged further clear when a great move involving Carroll and O'Rourke culminated in Bryan McMahon notching the second Meath major: 2-5 to 0-2.

Ratoath clubman McMahon added a point from play and then made a superb pass to set Stephen Bray up for the winners' third three-pointer shortly before the short whistle.

The Barrowsiders opened the second-half scoring through Seamus Kinsella but the glow of that score was quickly extinguished as Tormey netted a fantastic fourth Meath goal in the 37th minute: 4-6 to 0-3.

Broderick (free) and substitute Seamus Kenny traded scores before O'Rourke increased the gap to 16 points.

Newman's predatory instincts were very much to the fore as he helped himself to two goals inside 30 seconds. Firstly, he took advantage of a mistake by Carlow goalkeeper Pat Coady and the Kilmainham clubman completed his hat-trick almost immediately after a hashed quick kick-out - 6-8 to 0-4 after 50 minutes.

Kenny and Mark O'Sullivan pointed either side of a Broderick effort for the overwhelmed hosts and corner forward Broderick registered the losers' sixth point - and his fifth - five minutes from the end.

Tormey pointed before substitute Dalton McDonagh rounded the 'keeper to fire the seventh Meath goal to the net. Tormey flashed a shot off the crossbar and over for another Meath point and the crowd were wakened from their slumber when a streaker tore onto the pitch and swung off the frame of the goal.

Newman kept his focus and clipped over the last point of the match right at the death.

Meath - P O'Rourke; C Young, K Reilly, M Burke; P Harnan, D Keogan, D Carroll (0-1); B Meade, S O'Rourke (0-2,1f); D Tobin (0-1), B McMahon (1-1), A Tormey (1-3); G Reilly, S Bray (1-0). M Newman (3-2, 1-0pen, 0-1f). Subs: S Kenny (0-2) for D Keogan, A Flanagan for B Meade, D McDonagh (1-0) for G Reilly, M O'Sullivan (0-1) for M Burke, P Gilsenan for S Bray, D Lenihan for B McMahon.

Carlow - P Coady; R Mahon, S Mernagh, BJ Molloy; G Power, D St Ledger, B Kavanagh; D Foley, H Gahan; M Meaney, C Moran, D Bambrick; P Broderick, (0-5, 3f, 1'45), S Kinsella (0-1f), C Coughlan. Subs: C Lawlor for S Mernagh, K Nolan for G Power, E Ruth for D Foley, W Minchin for C Moran, J Kennedy for S Kinsella.

Referee - P O'Sullivan. Tweet

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