Superb Vaughan frees prove vital for Dubs

Dublin 1-12 Meath 1-10

While Meath fought valiantly enough to merit a draw, few could really argue against the merit of Dublin's win, a victory that was tempered in a third quarter where they utterly dominated their neighbours down the spine of the pitch.

Trailing by two points at the break, and with a pair of substitutes aimed at reinvigorating their forward line, Dublin's backbone of Barry Cahill, Ciaran Whelan and Alan Brogan proved to be the rock on which Meath's hopes perished.