Dublin 3-17
Meath 1-11

Dublin easily swept Meath aside to retain the Leinster minor football championship title at Croke Park yesterday afternoon.

Dual star Cormac Costello helped himself to 3-4 over the hour, in a game that Dublin were in command from start to finish.

Fiachra Ward opened up the scoring for Meath but Dublin soon picked up the running and by the first quarter led 0-4 to 0-1. Meath 'keeper Jack Hannigan denied Niall Scully a goal from the penalty spot but soon after Costello got the first of his three when his point attempt sneaked into the top left corner of the Meath net at the Canal end. Meath were eight points in arrears by the time the half time whistle sounded - 1-10 to 0-5.

Ward registered the first score after the resumption for Meath but it wasn't long 'til Costello surged his way through the Royals defense and casually put the ball beyond Hannigan this put them out of sight.

It was just five minutes later his hat-trick was sealed, after good work from Conor McHugh, Costello stylishly rounded Hannigan to fire the ball to the Meath net.

Meath's best moment came when Cillian O'Sullivan netted late on but it was long over as a contest as Dessie Farrell's young Dubs ran out 12-point winners.

Dublin - L Molloy; E Mullan, D Byrne, R McGowan; M MacDonncha, C Mulally, E Lowndes; Stephen Cunningham, S Carthy (0-1); G Burke (0-3), N Scully (0-1), N Walsh (0-2); C McHugh (0-4), C Costello (3-4), R Gaughan (0-1). Subs: D Gormley for Walsh, Shane Cunningham (0-1) for Gaughan, D Campbell for McHugh, M Deegan for Costello, B Bentley for Carthy.

Meath - J Hannigan; D Smyth, B Power, S Gallagher; P Kennelly (0-1), P Harnan, R O Coileain; S McEntee, A Flanagan (0-1); C O'Sullivan (1-0), J Daly (0-1), J McEntee; S Coogan (0-1), B Dardis (0-1), F Ward (0-6). Subs: C Carton for Kennelly, J O'Malley for Smyth, P Kennelly for Coogan, H Rooney for P Harnan, C Gillespie for O'Coileain.

Referee - D Brazil (Offaly) (replacement A Nolan (Wicklow)) Tweet

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