Royals lead by three at half-time

Meath 0-07 Wicklow 0-04

Meath look on course for their first championship win at Croke Park since 2001, as left corner forward Daithí Regan of St Michael’s has hit four points for a 0-7 to 0-4 half time lead.

Despite missing a second minute goal chance through former St Pat’s Navan All-Ireland skipper Shane McKeigue and hitting seven wides in total, Sean Boylan’s men are in the ascendancy against a plucky Garden county side.

Regan opened with two early points before Brenan O’hAnnaidh fisted Wicklow’s first on 10 minutes.

Charles McCarthy and Alan Ellis traded points before the quarter hour, and Regan and McCarthy bolstered the Meath advantage to 0-5 to 0-2.

Regan’s fourth point, and third from play, on 21 minutes stretched that lead to four, but despite Trevor Giles notching a 31st minute 45, Tony Hannon (free) and Tommy Gill pointing well off balance in injury time kept the underdogs in it.

Meath: D Gallagher; N McKeigue, D Fay, M O'Reilly; P Reynolds, T O'Connor, S McGabhann; A Moyles, N Crawford; N Kelly, C McCarthy, T Giles; E Kelly, S McKeigue, D Regan.

Wicklow: R Hollingsworth; C Hyland, S Cushe, T Burke; C Davis; S Byrne, A Foley; B Sheehan, B O'hAnnaidh; T Harney, R Coffey, A Ellis; T Gill, T Hannon, W O'Gorman.

Scorers: Meath: D Regan 0-04 (1f), C McCarthy 0-02, T Giles 0-01 (1 ’45)

Wicklow: B O’hAnnaidh, A Ellis, T Hannon (1f), T Gill 0-01 each