Kildare advance past Meath to set up Leinster MFC final date with Dublin

Kildare 0-13 Meath 0-12

Kildare and Dublin will contest the Leinster MFC final

Kildare advanced to the final of the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship after a narrow one-point victory over Meath set up a showdown with Dublin after their defeat of Offaly.

Meath were the better team in the opening exchanges and early points from Cian Commons and a John Harkin free had them two up inside three minutes.

They were 0-4 to 0-2 up by the end of the opening quarter as Commons hit two more.

Joey Cunningham and Cathal Moore kept Kildare in touch with frees, ensuring parity at the break, 0-5 to 0-5.

Kildare started the brightest after the break and Evan Donnelly and Harry Redmond had them in front for the first time.

Pat Crawley and Commons again had Meath level on 34 minutes.

Kildare then enjoyed a purple patch and they hit four in a row that proved to be a match-winning move.

Joey Cunningham with two, Harry Redmond and another free from goal keeper Cathal Moore.

Ben Corkery and Senan Murphy swapped points but, entering the closing stages, another Joey Cunningham free in response to three Meath white flags was enough to see Kildare into another Leinster Final.

Kildare: C Moore 0-3 (2 frees,1 '45) L Kelly, C Moran, J Donnelly, S Murphy 0-1, R Murray, M Chambers, E Boyle, J Cunningham 0-4 (2 frees, 1 Mark), R Lawler, H Redmond 0-2, T Donlan, D Mullahy, D Kinch 0-1, E Donnelly 0-2. Subs: J McCabe for D Mullahy 39, L O’Connor for D Kinch 52, A Jordan for J Donnelly 55, P O Dea for S Murphy 58, A Fitzpatrick for T Donlan 59.

Meath: B Colfer, C Duggan, J Gormley, O Maloney 0-1,A Gormley 0-1 (1 free), T Sheridan, D Donnelly, C Commons 0-5 McIvor,cE Armstrong, O O’Neill, P Crawley 0-1, C Liggan, T Lenehan, J Harkin 0-3 (2 free). Subs: B Corkery 0-1 for P Crawley 40, O Yore for C Duggan 46, R Cawley for A Gormley 46.

Referee: J Foley.

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