Leinster SFC Semi-final/Laois 1-13 Meath 1-9: The march of time was in step with the march of Laois at Croke Park yesterday. During the build-up to yesterday's Bank of Ireland Leinster football semi-final it had felt strange that Laois, for all their status as reigning champions, were being so heavily tipped to move into next month's provincial final. Meath aren't the sort of underdogs that you want coming at you with their fangs sharpened by long odds.
Time moves on, however. Meath were driven in the first half as if stung by the insolent consensus but after the break Laois reconfigured their front eight, shifted gear and there wasn't a thing that their opponents could do about it in front of the 37,766 in attendance.
For Laois the afternoon was simply evolution. Mick O'Dwyer pointed out that Meath represented a boxed set of Leinster scalps, with Offaly, Dublin and Kildare having been taken last year. Their talent shone through for most of yesterday afternoon and so, just as significantly, did their self-belief once they sensed the challenge and met it.
In the first half Laois were out of sorts. They were winning nothing at centrefield and little of what broke between the 40s. Their full-forward line was static and stayed too tight inside, allowing the Meath defence too much scope to back up their team-mates and occasionally forcing the half forwards to shoot from too great a distance.
Nonetheless, there were some significant pointers going Laois's way. Ross Munnelly's class at wing forward was giving Hank Traynor the jitters and he capitalised on this with two points from play, each the product of his Pimpernel-style drifting across the line.
Centrally Meath were also in trouble. Whatever ball fell for contest between Beano McDonald and Tomás O'Connor the Laois man was winning well, even if it wasn't being put to maximum advantage. Ditto behind them where Colm Parkinson constantly beat his man to the ball but to more devastating effect in the second half, by which stage the responsibility had switched from Darren Fay to Mark O'Reilly.
Ominously for Meath their attack was struggling to convert all of this early possession. Laois's defence looked composed under pressure with Joe Higgins a force-field of energy, tidying up ball and recycling it into attack.
The one problem was posed by Joe Sheridan who competed very well for ball and proved flawless from place kicks. His accuracy in play wasn't as impressive, which was an added relief for Laois.
In general Meath missed too many good chances in the first half to feel too upbeat about going in on level terms, 0-6 each. But the teams were neck-and-neck and that should have been reassurance of sorts. The challengers also had wind advantage to follow and their opponents had missed good chances just before half-time.
The days of waiting for Laois to implode in the face of mild adversity are gone. In the full knowledge that he had the better hand, O'Dwyer played it expertly.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, his hamstring injury inhibiting him, was replaced and the switch of Pádraig Clancy from the wing to his natural habitat strengthened Laois around the middle. The veteran Mick Lawlor came on in Clancy's place and had a major impact in the second half.
Beano McDonald was also moved to his more familiar position in the corner of the attack in a swap with Chris Conway.
The champions were revitalised. Centrefield began to break more evenly, preventing Anthony Moyles from winning as much loose ball although Nigel Crawford continued to battle. Conway came into the game strongly at centre forward and McDonald exhibited a lot more menace in the full-forward line.
For the next 10 minutes Meath stayed on terms.
Sheridan kicked a free and a 45 to keep scores level at 0-8 each. But the danger flag had been raised in the 42nd minute when Lawlor sent in a peach of a ball to - of all people - Darren Rooney up from wing back. His shot was blocked out for a 45 but the heat began to rise under Meath.
Parkinson, Clancy and Beano McDonald all pointed - the latter a beautifully taken score after bamboozling Niall McKeigue - to build a three-point lead. With the forwards constructing the biggest lead of the match, goalkeeper Fergal Byron protected it with the first of two fine saves.
Sheridan put Daithí Regan into space but his close-range shot was blocked by Byron. Four minutes later the match was effectively over. Lawlor again sent in an exceptionally flighted kick, which dropped into Parkinson. The full forward went for the middle and, although falling, roofed his kick for a spectacular goal and a seven-point lead.
Meath's second goal chance fell in the 63rd minute for Crawford who was alert to a rebound off the post but his shot drew a point-blank save from Byron although Sheridan pointed the resulting 45. Seconds later Lawlor responded to maintain the seven-point lead.
Despite enough injury-time to keep play going for a further 10 minutes there was no further score. The only event of note was the straight red carding of Meath replacement John Cullinane who is alleged to have stamped on a prone Parkinson after an ill-judged episode of show-boating by the Laois man.
There are still some things that you won't get away with against Meath.
LAOIS: 1. F Byron; 2. A Fennelly, 3. C Byrne, 4. J Higgins; 5. D Rooney, 6. T Kelly, 7. P McDonald; 8. K Fitzpatrick, 9. N Garvan; 10. R Munnelly (0-6, four frees), 11. B McDonald (0-2), 12. P Clancy (0-1); 13. I Fitzgerald, 14. C Parkinson (1-2), 15 C Conway (capt) (0-1). Subs: 17. M Lawlor (0-1) for Fitzpatrick (half-time).
MEATH: 1. D Gallagher; 2. N McKeigue, 3. D Fay, 4. M O'Reilly; 5. P Reynolds (capt), 6. T O'Connor, 29. H Traynor; 8. N Crawford, 9. A Moyles; 20. S Kenny, 11. C McCarthy, 12. T Giles (0-1); 13. E Kelly, 27. J Sheridan (0-6, four frees, one 45), 15. D Regan (0-2, one free). Subs: 18. D Curtis for E Kelly (53 mins), 24. O Murphy for Kenny (53 mins), 22. J Cullinane for Regan (57 mins), 17. R Kealy for Traynor (63 mins), 30. G Geraghty for O'Connor (69 mins).
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).
