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Meath's Graham Reilly and Emmet Bolton of Kildare in action. INPHO/Ryan Byrne
AS IT HAPPENED

AS IT HAPPENED: Meath v Kildare, Leinster SFC semi-final

Leinster senior football semi-final day in Croke Park, and we went minute by minute as the Lilywhites and the Royals attempted to qualify for this year’s decider. Here’s how it unfolded.

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Here’s the Meath team for today’s game with no late changes.

MEATH SF: David Gallagher, Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton, Ciarán Lenehan, Donnacha Tobin, Shane McAnarney, Mickey Burke, Conor Gillespie, Brian Meade, Alan Forde, Damien Carroll, Graham Reilly, Brian Farrell, Joe Sheridan, Cian Ward.

Two late changes on the Kildare team. Alan Smith and Daryl Flynn in for Eoin Doyle and Robert Kelly. We’re about to get underway.

KILDARE SF: Shane Connolly, Hugh McGrillen, Michael Foley, Peter Kelly, Alan Smith, Morgan O’Flaherty, Ollie Lyons, Emmet Bolton, Daryl Flynn, James Kavanagh, Mikey Conway, Padraig O’Neill, John Doyle, Tomás O’Connor, Eoghan O’Flaherty.

Kildare 0-1 Meath 0-0: Kildare get into their stride quickly here in Croke Park. James Kavanagh steadies himself in front of the Hill 16 to curl over  the game’s point.

Kildare 0-2 Meath 0-1: Kildare stretch their lead further with Emmet Bolton on target. In contrast Meath’s shooting has been a little suspect early on, they’ve missed chances from both open play and frees. They’ve finally got off the mark though with centre-forward Damien Carroll firing over an excellent score after good work by Joe Sheridan. 7 minutes gone here.

I neglected to mention earlier on that Seanie Johnston, the most talked about Kildare player in the GAA at present, is not listed amongst the Lilywhites substitutes in the match programme.

Meath 0-4 Kildare 0-2: Meath are starting to take control. Joe Sheridan is on target first after a strong break upfield by wing-back Mickey Burke. An important point after some poor misses before that by the Royals. Then Alan Forde bursts forward and nearly finds the net only for Kildare defender Morgan O’Flaherty to deflect his shot over the bar. Finally Graham Reilly, one of the early stars of this year’s championship, swings over a left-footed shot. 14 minutes gone.

Meath 0-4 Kildare 0-3: The standard of free-taking has been sub-standard so far in this game but Kildare’s Mikey Conway does manage to find his range in slamming over a shot from almost 45 yards. Evenly-balanced match so far with 17 minutes gone.

Meath 0-5 Kildare 0-4: Meath still just ahead with Brian Farrell slotting over a free after Kildare had previously remained calm to recycle possession and allow their talisman Johnny Doyle to get on the end of a good team move to pop over a point. Meath have not wasted any time in using their bench either with Eoghan Harrington brought in at left corner-back for Ciaran Lenehan, who had been having difficulties in policing James Kavanagh.

Meath 0-6 Kildare 0-4: Meath wing-forward Alan Forde is already making a fine impression, utilising his speed to good effect. He tears clear of the Kildare rearguard and draws a foul that leads to a free which Brian Farrell pops over. At the other end Eoghan O’Flaherty is off target with an effort off his left. 22 minutes gone and Kildare, pre-match favorites in most people’s eyes, are getting a real test.

Meath 0-7 Kildare 0-4: Kieran McGeeney can’t be happy with some of his sides defending so far. This time it’s Peter Kelly who commits the foul on Brian Farrell and the Nobber attacker, who has taken over place-kicking duties from Cian Ward, fires over the resultant free. Meath are getting a lot of joy out of running at the Kildare defence so far and are worth their three-point advantage.

Graham Reilly becomes the second Meath player to receive a yellow card after defender Ciaran Lenehan was earlier penalized.

Meath 0-7 Kildare 0-5: Meath concede a needless free when Graham Reilly brings down Hugh McGrillen outfield and Eoghan O’Flaherty holds his nerve to bang over his first point of the game. We’re approaching half-time with 30 minutes gone and this continues to be an interesting contest.

Meath 0-7 Kildare 0-7: Kildare are clawing their way back into this game and have tied up the match. Eoghan O’Flaherty has just tapped over two frees in quick succession following fouls on Michael Foley and Emmet Bolton respectively. The Lilywhites can be happier with their play now, particularly at the back where they’re starting to quell the threat of the Meath forward line. We’re entering injury-time at the end of the first-half.

Meath 0-8 Kildare 0-7: That is an outstanding point by Joe Sheridan. He was about 40 yards from goal and had little room to work with given the close attentions of the Kildare defence but still engineered a point with a shot from the outside of his right boot. The score was created by another great break by Alan Forde as he scythed through the Kildare rearguard.

And that score by Sheridan ensures Meath go in at the interval with a 0-8 to 0-7 lead. The half ends on a bizarre note as Cian Ward shapes to attempt a point from long range but referee Michael Collins blows the half-time whistle as the ball is in flight. The shot does end up short into the arms of Kildare goalkeeper Shane Connolly anyway but the Meath players and management voice their displeasure to Collins before heading to the dressing-rooms.

Here are the scorers from both sides in the first-half.

MEATH: Brian Farrell 0-3 (0-3f), Joe Sheridan 0-2, Alan Forde, Damien Carroll, Graham Reilly 0-1 each.

KILDARE: Eoghan O’Flaherty 0-3 (0-3f), Johnny Doyle, Mikey Conway (0-1f), James Kavanagh, Emmett Bolton 0-1 each.

Kildare 0-8 Meath 0-8: Kildare off the mark early in the second-half with Tomas O’Connor rising highest to fist a Hugh McGrillen delivery over the bar. That was very patient play by Kildare in creating that chance as Meath placed them under serious pressure.

Kildare 0-9 Meath 0-8: And now Kildare hit the front with Alan Smith firing over an excellent point from distance. All six forwards in the Lilywhites line-up have now managed to get on the scoresheet.

What a great goal chance for Meath. The ball is played through for Joe Sheridan who burst forward and holds off his marker, but his left footed shot trickles wide. Cian Ward’s involvement in the game has come to an end as well with Stephen Bray sent in to replace him.

Chances spurned on both sides, Eoghan O’Flaherty off target for Kildare from a central position and Joe Sheridan’s shot from the right wing also tailing wide. Still Kildare in the ascendancy on the scoreboard with 44 minutes gone.

Kildare 0-10 Meath 0-8: The composure of Kildare’s play is starting to prove evident. Again they are swarmed by Meath defenders on the left wing, again they keep calm to recycle possession and again they are rewarded with a score at the finish as Alan Smith slots his shot between the posts. Midfield is also a sector where Kildare are beginning to reign in. 46 minutes gone.

Kildare 0-11 Meath 0-9: An important point for Meath when Graham Reilly registers their first score of the second-half but it is immediately cancelled out at the other end by Alan Smith who knocks over his third of the game. A change for Meath with Peadar Byrne on for Brian Meade.

Kildare 0-11 Meath 0-10: Brian Farrell has excelled in the freetaking stakes for Meath so far and now he’s on target from open play, swiveling after being fed a long delivery to curl a shot over. Kildare have brought in Padraig Fogarty, the hero in their league final success over Tyrone in April, for Johnny Doyle in attack. Twenty minutes of normal time remaining in Croke Park.

Meath 0-12 Kildare 0-11: Some huge moments in the game. Meath’s battling qualities are extremely admirable. Kildare have started better in the second-half but the Royals have recovered to take the lead again with Joe Sheridan pointing a ’45 and Brian Farrell popping over a free. And more significantly Kildare are down to fourteen men as Daryl Flynn receives his second yellow card of the game. This finale is going to be really interesting.

That dismissal of Flynn is a big blow for Kildare, his first yellow card arrived in the 44th minute and then he was booked again nine minutes later.

Kildare 1-11 Meath 0-14: Just after that setback Kildare receive a major boost by striking the game’s first goal of the game. There is an element of fortune to it as Mikey Conway’s shot is superbly blocked by David Gallagher but the rebound hits the unfortunate Micky Burke and the ball rolls into the net. Yet Meath do not wilt after the concession with Brian Farrell and Graham Reilly both on target with points to tie the match. 13 minutes left and the excitement is building here.

Meath 1-14 Kildare 1-11: This game has been turned on its head as Meath substitute Peadar Byrne strikes a fierce shot to the net. The ball was released to him by Damien Carroll and Byrne sprinted clear of the defence. But the decision of referee Michael Collins to award a throw ball in the build-up to that goal will provoke debate as it looked like Kildare had cause to be awarded a free out.

Kildare make another change with Robert Kelly in for James Kavanagh. Nine minutes left and Meath have a great chance here to cause a major surprise as they hold a three-point lead.

More switches on the Kildare team. Dermot Earley, Ronan Sweeney and Eamonn Callaghan are all brought into the match with Padraig O’Neill, Tomas O’Connor and Mikey Conway withdrawn. They have seven minutes of normal time left to influence this game.

That’s a really bad wide for Kildare with Ollie Lyons blazing to the right of the goal after the ball falls to him 20 yards out. In the build-up to that miss, full-back Bryan Menton received a facial injury that sees him forced off. Kevin Reilly is brought on as a substitute.

Meath 1-15 Kildare 1-11: It’s looking like Meath’s day. Substitute Stephen Bray gets his first point of the game to send them clear by four with just two minutes of normal time remaining.

Meath 1-17 Kildare 1-11: And then substitute Jamie Queeney, after being brought on for Alan Forde, splits the posts twice in succession. The extra man is certainly starting to tell and Meath are six points clear.

Kildare battle furiously for a goal but it does not look like arriving. Twice Emmet Bolton unleashes blistering drives but Conor Gillespie and Donncha Tobin block him down.

Meath 1-17 Kildare 1-11: And that’s it. Full-time and Meath have defeated Kildare by six points to book their spot in the Leinster final. Not many people forecast that result beforehand but the sending-off of Daryl Flynn and the goal by Peadar Byrne were huge moments in the second-half. A massive win for Meath boss Seamus McEnaney but the qualifiers beckons for Kildare and Kieran McGeeney.

We’ll be getting ready in a few minutes to live blog today’s second Leinster semi-final as Dublin face Wexford. But that’s it from Meath and Kildare, thanks for joining us this afternoon.

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