Dessie Farrell suggests Dublin defeat was written in the stars

Farrell's patched-up Sky Blues trailed by a dozen points after a horror first-half against Meath and never recovered.

Meath manager Robbie Brennan is congratulated by Dublin manager Dessie Farrell, left, after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship semi-final match between Dublin and Meath at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Dessie Farrell reckons Dublin's shock defeat in the Leinster SFC, their first since Pat Gilroy was in charge 15 years ago, may have been 'written in the stars'.

Farrell's patched-up Sky Blues trailed by a dozen points after a horror first-half against the wind and never recovered.

They did get the gap down to two points late on but that was as close as they came to reeling in a hungrier and more efficient Meath.

"The shooting efficiency on the two-pointers wouldn't have been great today," said Farrell. "On another day, like down in Kerry, they were going over - they just didn't today. It's just one of those days, it may have been written in the stars.

"But I think there's huge lessons in it for us. I'm still very proud of the boys the way they dug in, got themselves right back into it. Just maybe some wrong decisions and some poor execution towards the end cost us. It could have been different but it was not to be and we build from here."

Farrell was without a third of last year's Championship team who retired in the closed season. Six more players including Sean Bugler and Eoin Murchan were out injured - prompting him to hand John Small, Paddy Small and Lorcan O'Dell their first starts of the season.

"Bodies were down but it was an opportunity for other players to step up," said Farrell. "It just wasn't good enough today. That's what we were using the league for, to try to build that little bit more depth within the squad. And today was a big day for a lot of players within the squad, huge learning. Hopefully we're able to take the lessons from this and move forward."

Farrell refused to get too down with the defeat which few expected.

"For the newer players, it's a great baptism. You can't replicate that at training, as hard and all as you try. It's a huge learning curve for lads, and not just for the younger lads but the older lads too I'd say. We were very depleted today but that's not taking away from Meath's win. They were fully deserving of it but we have a lot of bodies to get back and to get healthy please God over the next couple of weeks and we'll look forward to the All-Ireland series."