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'The scoreline didn't do Meath justice'- Jim Gavin defends the Royals' sixteen-point defeat at the hands of Dublin

Meath manager Andy McEntee and Dublin manager Jim Gavin shake hands after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile Expand
Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton lifts the Delaney Cup after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match between Dublin and Meath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile Expand

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Meath manager Andy McEntee and Dublin manager Jim Gavin shake hands after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

Meath manager Andy McEntee and Dublin manager Jim Gavin shake hands after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton lifts the Delaney Cup after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match between Dublin and Meath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton lifts the Delaney Cup after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match between Dublin and Meath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

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Meath manager Andy McEntee and Dublin manager Jim Gavin shake hands after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

John Morley

Jim Gavin believes that the four points Meath scored in their Leinster final defeat to his Dublin side does not reflect the quality of the division two finalists.

Dublin had only lead the Royals by four points at half-time, but a second half scoring spree saw the Sky Blues pull away to win their ninth consecutive Leinster title by sixteen points.

"When you've got two quality side coming together it's going to be nip and tuck. Everybody's looked at Meath coming into today's game, they are now a division one side and that's great for Leinster," said Gavin.

"If you looked at their league performance against Donegal they were very impressive. I think what surprised me was the scoreline in the end because I don't think it did Meath justice."

"They hit it off the post a few times and hit a few wides that on another day they'd score."

The Dubs only led Andy McEntee's team by four points at half-time, but Gavin was confident in his team's ability to find a way to win in the final stages of the game.

"I thought we were really offensive-minded and we really attacked them. We turned a lot of ball over that could've been picked up but the mindset of the Dublin players is what impressed me most. They really went after the game and that bore fruit in the second half," Gavin explained.

Gavin also praised the Dublin supporters, who rallied in behind the team when Meath were still very much in the game in the early stages of the derby match.

"When the game was in the balance there for a while, to see [the Dublin supporters] cheering at everything...and even the plays that didn't go for us, to see them encouraging the guys. It means a lot."

The four-in-a-row boss was delighted to win another Leinster crown and expressed his pride in the players for all they have achieved so far this year.

"I'm happy for Dublin GAA and to be the Leinster champions again. It means a lot to us. The boys prepared really really well. In the lead up to the game there was great spirit in the camp and I'm just glad we could trade off that preparation and get a performance." he finished.

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