A strong second-half display from Dublin gave them a deserved 1-12 to 1-10 victory over Meath in this Leinster SFC quarter-final at Croke Park. The Dubs were driven on by super-turboed Alan Brogan after the break and overturned a two-point interval deficit to win by the same margin. The 2005 Leinster senior football championship came to life at last with an enthralling first half of football from these fierce rivals. Inspired by mercurial Graham Geraghty, the Royals started and finished the half strongly to claim a two-point half-time lead. In between, Dublin gave as good as they got and there was plenty to suggest that the game could go either way, provided with a moment of magic from any of the players on view. But it was Geraghty who was the key architect in the first period and the Seneschalstown clubman's performance was nothing short of breath-taking. Hardly surprisingly given the enormity of the occasion, the match had an incredible - and controversial - start. Ciaran Whelan was extremely fortunate not to get an immediate red card when he punched Nigel Crawford in the face on the throw-in, leaving the Meath midfielder with a bloodied nose, but referee John Bannon bottled the decision and flashed a yellow. Niall Kelly opened the scoring with a fine Meath point from play and Thomas Quinn and Joe Sheridan were both guilty of early misses from frees. Mohican-headed Graham Geraghty landed a wonderpoint for the Royals but Dublin full forward Conal Keaney replied instantly. Geraghty was on fire in the opening minutes and he set up a goal chance for clubmate Sheridan, who hesitated slightly and originally decided not to shoot (anticipating a possible block) before striking a great goal, the ball bouncing mere inches over the line after crashing off the underside of the crossbar. The Dubs refused to panic and struck back with points from Brian Cullen and Quinn (who opted to fist over when close to goal), but Geraghty had the bit between his teeth and he danced through the Dublin rearguard to kick over another great point. It was a cracker of a match in the first quarter and Dublin drew level with a splendid Alan Brogan goal. Brogan slipped David Crimmins, demonstrating great upper body strength and balance to fire ruthlessly past David Gallagher to the roof of the net from a tight angle. It was a truly inspirational score and the Sky Blues took the lead for the first time with a 17th-minute free from the boot of Keaney, who briefly assumed kicking duties after a couiple of disappointing misses from Mossie Quinn. Geraghty was unlucky when his left-footed shot drifted outside the post. Nobber's Brian Farrell converted his first chance to make it 1-4 apiece after 22 minutes. Fired-up Geraghty could easily have been booked when he caught Keaney with a high tackle but the roaming Meath full forward went into the referee's notebook almost immediately for pulling an opponent's shirt. Quinn was having a nightmare and kicked an aimless shot wide from play when he should really have placed one of his better-positioned team-mates. Keaney showed no ill effects of the blow he had suffered to dink over his third point of the match (from play) as Paul Caffrey's side stole a one-point lead on the half-hour. Like Whelan in the first minute, Meath's Kelly could easily have been sent off for use of the fist. His punch didn't actually land but the Dublin player in question rolled around like an Israeli goalkeeper in Hollywood and Kelly was relieved to escape with a yellow. In the last minute of the first half, the magnificent Geraghty won a ball that he should never have won and sent over a glorious point off his left foot from an impossible angle. It was one of the most inspirational scores of the championship so far and Meath lifted their game in first-half injury time. Two fine points from Farrell - the second of them at the end of a flowing move - gave them a two-point interval lead, 1-7 to 1-5. Dublin manager Paul Caffrey made two changes at half time, bringing in Senan Connell and Mark Vaughan for the ineffective Collie Moran and Jason Sherlock. It would be a Dublin-dominated second period. Mossie Quinn's fisted effort bounded back into play off the body of Meath keeper Gallagher but Brogan eventually pointed at the end of a frantic passage of play in front of the Royal County posts and centre back Barry Cahill sneaked forward to bring the sides level for the fourth time, 1-7 apiece. Oliver Plunketts clubman Brogan put the Dubs in front and Sean Boylan reacted by introducing the experienced Paddy Reynolds for Kelly. Sub Connell put Dublin two ahead. An excellent piece of fielding from Anthony Moyles resulted in a superb point from his midfield foil Crawford after neat support play by Reynolds and Sheridan. Quinn didn't have his shooting boots on and kicked his fifth wide of the match but Brogan showed the way with a great point to bring his tally from play to 1-3. Sheridan's free from the hands almost ended up in the Dublin net but Cahill was on hand to collect the ball on the line and ferry it to safety. At the other end, a searing Brogan run tore the Meath defence apart and he set Keaney up for a wonderful goal chance, which was screwed badly high and wide. The scores remained close, 1-10 to 1-8. Meath sub Shane McKeigue was forced out of action with a nasty-looking injury, to be replaced by John Cullinane. The Royals were living on scraps but Farrell kicked over his fourth point from four attempts to leave just a point in it with ten minutes to play. Vaughan landed a super point from a long-distance free to put the Dubs two ahead with six minutes of normal time remaining but Regan floated over a left-footer to bring the men in green back within the minimum. With Dublin leading by 1-11 to 1-10, it was announced that there would be five minutes of added time. Could Meath force a replay? Vaughan pointed a free deep into injury time. Meath threw Ollie Murphy into the mix four minutes into stoppage time but they hadn't enough time to get the ball into the Carnaross clubman and the metropolitans held out for a deserved 1-12 to 1-10 win. Tweet

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