Meath overcome Dublin

Cork extend Kerry in Munster final

Meath 2-11, Dublin 0-14

This was a game made compelling by intense rivalry and not by the standard of play. Sunday’s Leinster Football Final brought together the province’s two heavyweights, and if Meath landed the more decisive blows, there was no knockout punch at Croke Park. Dublin was left to rue a host of missed chances toward the end; Meath was relieved to have got by after a distinctly modest performance.

In the opening minutes a bad handling error by Dublin keeper Davy Byrne let Graham Geraghty in for a soft goal. Whatever caused Byrne to spill Ollie Murphy’s lofted center — nerves or the sun in his eyes — wasn’t apparent, but Meath were three points ahead and that was the margin when referee Mick Curley blew for the full-time.

In between, Meath defended resolutely as Darren Fay and Mark O’Reilly closed down the Dublin attacks and, crucially, they were able to pick off a second goal with a quarter of an hour left when Richie Kealy rounded off some neat interplay with a perfect low shot to the corner. However, by moving Collie Moran from the forwards to bolster the full-back line, Dublin had effectively snuffed out the considerable double threat of Geraghty and Murphy, and yet they were incapable of driving home an obvious territorial advantage during the second half.

For some reason that will perturb manager Sean Boylan, Meath sat back after the interval as some powerful running from Ciaran Whelan in midfield brought Dublin right back into the contest, and while Dessie Farrell contributed a couple of sharp scores, his colleagues’ shooting was truly woeful.

Seven frustrating wides in total during a spell of dominance with Wayne McCarthy, Peadar Andrews, Paul Curran and Moran among the sinners. Dublin had more enough possession to finish the job and book a quarterfinal place. However, there was precious little composure and no killer instinct in and around the goal and manager Tommy Carr now has to contemplate a difficult fourth round qualifying game against Sligo.

"Yes, it was exceptionally frustrating at times," Carr said. "We didn’t take our scores and took too many wrong options, but I’m not blaming any player. Compared to two years ago, it was a much better display. We’re bound to get the rub of the green sometime, but when I don’t know."

Carr’s lament for a lack of luck missed the point. This defeat wasn’t down to chance. The doubts that have hung over this Dublin team all season were there to see. A lack of self-belief and a lack of leadership — when the opportunities to alter the course of the game presented themselves, no player stepped forward with any real confidence.

Meanwhile, without being convincing, Meath’s customary brand of dogged determination paid off. With Geraghty and Murphy nullified, Evan Kelly took over some responsibility with three fine points from play. John McDermott, back from his "retirement" and lacking in match practice, struggled during the first half but made a major impression with some spectacular high fielding after the changeover. And while Trevor Giles was not as influential as usual, there was Kealy to make his mark with 1-1.

Ahead by 1-6 to 0-5 at the break, Meath appeared to be coasting to another provincial title. Fay had neutralized full-forward Ian Robertson and Kelly was causing serious problems for the Dublin defense, but suddenly there was a pep in Dublin’s step. Curran drove forward with menace, Farrell clipped over a fine score, yet two points was the nearest they came to Meath as most of the shots blazed anywhere but over the bar.

"We were lucky," Boylan said. "Dublin had so many chances in the second half and they threatened to overtake us and put us away. Those goals were important; they were the essential difference between the teams." They were, but self-belief had some bearing as well.

Kerry 0-19, Cork 1-13

If the Leinster decider was fitful testament, Munster’s big day raised football to a higher level. Cork got off to a fast start, but it was pegged back by Kerry, and then followed a frenetic, skillful tit-for-tat contest that kept everyone at Pairc Ui Chaoimh until the All-Ireland champions calmly killed off the game with two scores in the dying minutes.

So, it was a true test for Kerry, courtesy of a team that had been stupidly dismissed in some quarters. Cork’s impressive effort was epitomized by Colin Corkery, who fired a glorious sequence of long-range points to end up with 0-8, including four from play. Criticized for being overweight by former Kerry great Pat Spillane, among others, Corkery conclusively proved that the right attitude and an eye for the target can compensate for some extra poundage.

Cork’s full-forward was outstanding as time and again he punished Kerry giving no less a marker than Seamus Moynihan a torrid afternoon. However, Corkery could have done with more support in the scoring stakes, although the impressive Brendan Jer O’Sullivan and Joe Kavanagh had their moments. An astonishing 1-2 to no score in front as early as the fourth minute thanks to a couple of Corkery frees and Kavanagh’s superbly taken goal, Cork couldn’t build on that lead as Kerry rattled off six points in a row.

"They cut into us in the first 10 minutes," reflected manager Paidi O Se, "but last year’s hard games stood to us. We showed a lot of maturity. We weren’t depending on the old faithful all of the time. They might have thought we were vulnerable, that we wouldn’t have shown them respect, but we did."

O Se’s opposite number, Larry Tompkins, wasn’t as philosophical. For the second season in a row, Tompkins was angered by the standard of refereeing. Mick Curley incurred his wrath following Cork’s defeat in Killarney last year, and last Sunday, Brendan O’Gorman was on the receiving end.

"It was a cruel way to lose," Tompkins said. "I don’t know how many frees Kerry got, but it was unbelieveable. You prepare a team hard all year and then you have to put up with that. It’s just infuriating. It’s very unfair to guys that you don’t get fair play and this is the second year."

Tompkins was particularly incensed by an incident in which a foul on Micheal O’Sullivan was signaled by the linesman, but O’Gorman chose to let play continue and Donal Daly picked off a point for Kerry.

"We just didn’t get any breaks," Tompkins said. "And if that wasn’t bad enough, Mike O’Donovan fisted the ball and the referee gave a free in. Unbelievable."

But anger couldn’t hide the truth that if Cork had been hard done by on occasions, they were beaten by a stronger, more composed team. With Maurice Fitzgerald substituted in the 40th minute, and with both Moynihan and Mike Frank Russell in second gear, it was left to several of the unsung Kingdom players to make an impression. Johnny Crowley was outstanding, with four points from play, while Aodhan MacGearailt and Dara O Se also performed well. If Dara O Cinneide was subdued, he still proved to be impeccable with placed balls totaling eight frees in his haul of 0-9.

It was level 0-11 to 1-8 at halftime, but Kerry surged ahead with five of the next seven scores. Now the influence of Ciraran O’Sullivan and Owen Sexton wasn’t as pronounced, and while Cork crept to within a point on two occasions in the closing minutes, Russell and O Cinneide sealed the result with the game’s final two scores.

If the disappointment of another Munster final defeat wasn’t enough for Tompkins, Cork were paired against last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists, Galway, in Sunday’s fourth round of the qualifying series.

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In minor football, Dublin trounced Offaly by 1-17 to 0-6 in last Sunday’s Leinster final, while Kerry, who were six points down at one stage, recovered to take the Munster title by beating Cork 0-15 to 0-12. In Connacht, Mayo claimed a fifth title in six seasons when they beat Galway 0-15 to 0-11 in a replayed decider at McHale Park, Castlebar.

Hurling

Derry 1-17, Down 3-10

Winners of the Ulster hurling title for the first time in 92 years last season, Derry made it two in a row with a dramatic success in last Sunday’s final at Casement Park when John O’Dwyer struck for the crucial point in the fourth minute of injury time.

Down looked to be on their way to victory following goals from Barry Coulter, and a couple by veteran Noel Sands, but Geoffrey McGonagle, who hit 1-8, Greg Biggs and O’Dwyer had other ideas as Derry battled back from a 5-point halftime deficit.

Other GAA results

Leinster Minor Football Final:

Dublin 2-17, Offaly 0-6

Munster Minor Football Final:

Kerry 0-15, Cork 0-12

Munster U-21 Hurling Semis:

Limerick 0-18, Cork 2-11

Tipperary 1-17, Waterford 0-13

Ulster Minor Hurling Final:

Derry 0-12, Antrim 2-5

Connaught Minor Football Final:

Mayo 0-15, Galway 0-11

Leinster U-21 Hurling Final:

Wexford 0-10, Kilkenny 1-5

All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Quarterfinals:

Kerry 3-11, Roscommon 2-10

Wicklow 2-14, Kildare 0-16

Meath 2-15, London 0-11

All Ireland Minor "C" Hurling:

Armagh 2-12, Tyrone 1-10

Cavan 2-8, Monaghan 0-2

Donegal 5-18, Fermanagh 1-2