Meath 1-15
Dublin 1-10

Meath outclassed Dublin in the opening round of the Leinster Under 17 Special football competition at Pairc Tailteann.

The home side started in whirlwind fashion and had eight points on the scoreboard after 16 minutes. The very impressive Jordan Morris, who finished with 1-6, landed the first two scores of the game from frees and the equally impressive Shane Walsh followed suit with quick fire points after seven minutes.

Dublin's Sean Tuke with Meath's Jordan Morris

Dublin were guilty of a few bad wides in the early stages as Meath keep the pressure on with further scores from team captain Liam Byrne, another brace from Morris and a pointed free from Barry O'Connell.

The visitors finally got off the mark on the 17th minute through their most influential player Ciaran Archer. The corner forward proceeded to kick another three points before the break. Padraic Purcell got Dublin's first score from play just before half time as Meath went to the dressing room 0-9 to 0-5 in front.

Meath's Cian McBride gets away from Ciaran Archer Dublin

Liam Byrne and Paddy Matthews extended Meath's lead in the opening minutes of the second half with fine points just before Archer kicked his fifth point of the game. Shane Walsh replied for Meath before the game's opening goal arrived. 

Morris was trusted with a close in free kick but instead of kicking the ball over the bar the quick thinking number 14 played a neat one two with half forward Cian McBride before calmly finishing to the Dublin net. Matthews and Morris extended Meath's lead to 11 points, 1-14 to 0-6 as the game entered the final quarter.

Meath's Colm Doherty and Sean Ryan with Dublin's Ciaran Archer

Both manager emptied the substitutes bench but it was Dublin who finished the stronger team. Sensing that victory was theirs Meath retreated and Dublin prospered. 

Adam Byrne started their mini revival. Archer followed suit and but for some heroic Meath defending Dublin could have got their first goal. That did not arrive until injury time when Archer was on hand to finishing low to the Meath net. Dublin tagged on two more points in added time but it was too late as Meath secured a deserved five point victory.

Meath's Shane Walsh with Fergal Waters and Dublin's Fionann O'Sullivan

The game ended on a sour note for the winners when full back Sean Ryan received a straight red card from referee David Fedigan

Meath: Lee Brown; Sean Bannon, Sean Ryan, Michael Gavin, Oran Smullen, Liam Byrne 0-2, Conal Courtney, Colm Doherty, Patrick Matthews 0-2, Cian McBride 0-1, Shane Walsh 0-3, Barry O'Connell 0-1, Aaron Lynch , Jordan Morris 1-6, Matthew Costello. Subs: Fergal Watters, Eoin Martin, Michael Murphy, Conor Harford, Dylan Keating.

Dublin: Liam Woodcock, Dylan O'Connell, Sean Tuke, Peter McNamara, Kevin Quinn, Conor Kinsella, Kieran McKeon, Niall Comerford, Fionna O'Sullivan, Darragh Warnock, Ciaran O'Reilly, Adam Byrne 0-1, Fionn O Ceallaigh, Padraic Purcell 0-1, Ciaran Archer 1-8. Subs: Sean Lowry, Brian O'Leary, Liam Tyrell, Eamon Hill, Eoghan Lyons, Jordan Leonard

Referee David Fedigan Louth

The new scoreboard on trail for Saturdays SF qualifier against Sligo made good reading for Meath at the end

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