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Blues and royals serve up a treat
 By
Graham Clifford
After their attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 a Japanese Admiral was quoted
as saying of the United States: “I fear all we have done is to awaken
a sleeping giant and fill him with terrible resolve.”
Meath football has been in the doldrums since 2001 but on Sunday in front
of over 82,000 supporters the giant of the ’90s re-emerged and Dublin
manager Paul Caffrey knows they want to regain their Provincial throne.
It may not have been a Leinster final but yet another epic clash between
the Blues and the Royals served up a treat.
All the ingredients needed for a classic were in evidence at GAA headquarters
on Sunday passion, controversy, drama, resilience and that never-say-die
attitude which Meath football became famous for under Sean Boylan.
Dublin were up to their old tricks again starting with a sprint and
ending with a stroll.
The Leinster Champions settled quickly and dominated the first quarter.
Two points from the excellent Conal Keaney and a 45 from Mossie Quinn
gave Caffrey’s side a three-point lead after 17 minutes. The one-way
traffic continued into the second quarter with Quinn again on target and
Shane Ryan also successful in front of the Meath posts.
Against the run of play the Royals finally broke their duck courtesy of
Joe Sheridan.
Tensions were beginning to spill over around the field and Ciaran Whelan
and Meath’s Kevin O’Reilly were cautioned after they squared-up
to each other.
Never far from the spotlight Graham Geraghty was once again involved in
the half’s first main talking point. The burly attacker outfought
his marker to rattle the back of the Dublin net with a stunning goal on
20 minutes but the three-pointer was ruled out as Geraghty’s challenge
on the defender was deemed to be illegal.
The decision appeared to be harsh in the extreme and feeling sinned against
the Royals began to flex their muscles. Stephen Bray and Geraghty fired
over from acute angles to narrow the gap to two points before Peter Curran
pointed from a free in the 27th minute to reduce the arrears to a single
score.
With normal time up in the first half there was still more drama to unfold
in the Croke Park cauldron. Dublin’s Alan Brogan punched a high-ball
into the Meath net though he looked to be in the square when the ball
was played into him. Meath players were dismayed when the goal was given
and though Sheridan pointed before the half-time whistle blew Meath were
left wondering how they were behind by 1-6 to 0-6.
Deep below the stands of Croke Park Dublin manager Paul Caffrey and his
opposite number Colm Coyle were telling their players that they could
win this game.
However neither side had the ability to dominate the second-half, exchanging
points like boxers exchanging punches.
Meath continued to trail until the 62nd minute when Bray kicked over from
a difficult angle for what was Meath’s fifth consecutive point in
a purple spell for the Royals.
The Metropolitans kept their nerve though and with 90 seconds remaining
on the clock Moran scored from distance to hand Dublin what looked to
be the winning score.
History though was destined to repeat itself and with what was almost
the last kick of the game substitute Cian Ward scored from the sideline
to level the game and hand the GAA another bumper pay day replay.
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