Dublin edge closer to promotion after comfortable Meath victory
STAR MAN: Dublin's Killian O'Gara with Harry O'Higgins of Meath. Pic: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
Promotion and a return to Division 1 football is as good as Dublin's after a big win over neighbours and old rivals Meath in Navan.
Killian O'Gara's first-half goal propelled Dublin to a nine-point interval advantage and they stretched the gap to 11 by full-time.
O'Gara, making his first start of the campaign, finished with 1-3 and won the Man of the Match award while free-taker Costello sniped a late goal to bring his tally to 1-4.
It was Dublin's first visit to Navan in 35 years and the 11-point margin curiously matched Dublin's winning margin back in 1988.
They never looked troubled against a Meath side without a win now in their last four games. Meath manager Colm O'Rourke had further reason to wince in the closing stages as captain Donal Keogan limped off with a hamstring injury.
Meath will return to action against Kildare in Round 7 next weekend while Dublin will host Louth at Croke Park.
With five changes from the side that drew with Limerick in Round 5, Meath required a fast start but conceded the first three points of the game.
Already it was looking ominous for the hosts who were without key figures Shane Walsh and Cillian O'Sullivan in attack.
Cormac Costello, on the frees for Dublin in the absence of Dean Rock, was among those early scorers and back to back points from the Whitehall man in the 15th and 18th minutes left his side 0-6 to 0-1 ahead.
Dublin got the margin out to six points before Meath pinched a rapid fire 1-1 in a matter of seconds between the 20th and 21st minutes.
Jack Flynn boomed the point and Mathew Costello nailed the goal though the Dunshaughlin man would surely concede he was going for a point when his kick from the left of goals dropped in over the head of backpedaling Dubs stopper David O'Hanlon.
Suddenly, the deficit was down to just two points, 0-7 to 1-2, but Meath didn't score again until the 42nd minute as Dublin reasserted their dominance.
The excellent Brian Fenton's second and third points of the half, along with a score from Ciaran Kilkenny, put Dublin well in the clear again before O'Gara cracked in a superb 35th minute goal.
Meath had been on the attack themselves but when James McCarthy was fouled in defence, Eoin Murchan burst up the field and eventually played in O'Gara who hammered a left foot rocket across the goalkeeper to the far corner.
O'Gara, who contributed 1-8 across Dublin's two O'Byrne Cup games, took the opportunity of a rare league start with both hands and closed out the first-half scoring with a neat point to leave the Leinster champions 1-11 to 1-2 up.
Even with the wind behind them in the second-half, Meath couldn't muster anything like a revival and five Dublin points in a row between the 53rd and 60th minutes - three of those from the influential Con O'Callaghan - all but killed the contest.
Aaron Lynch did chip in with two points for Meath after coming on but Dublin, fittingly, had the final say when Cormac Costello palmed in a 75th minute goal to take the winning margins into double digits.
C Costello (1-4, 1 free, 1 45); K O'Gara (1-3); C O'Callaghan, B Fenton (1 free)(0-4); L Gannon (0-2); C Kilkenny, S Bugler (0-1).
M Costello (1-2, 1 free); J Flynn (0-3, 1 45); D Moriarty (1 free), A Lynch (0-2); C Hickey, D Lenihan (0-1).
D O'Hanlon; M Fitzsimons, D Newcombe, D Byrne; J Small, E Murchan, L Gannon; J McCarthy, B Fenton; N Scully, C Kilkenny, T Lahiff; K O'Gara, C O'Callaghan, C Costello.
S Bugler for Scully (28); B Howard for Lahiff (55); C Basquel for O'Gara (62); R Basquel for O'Callaghan (67); C Murphy for Gannon (70).
H Hogan; A O'Neill, M Flood, H O'Higgins; D Keogan, P Harnan, C Hickey; R Jones, J Flynn; J O'Connor, J Scully, S Crosby; J Morris, M Costello, D Moriarty.
C O'Sullivan for O'Connor, D McGowan for Crosby, A Lynch for Morris (all h/t); D Lenihan for Scully (55); E Harkin for Keogan (61).
C Lane (Cork).
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