Meath v Galway: Three key moments 

Meath manager Robbie Brennan, left, and coach Carl Manning celebrate at the final whistle. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

The fourth goal 

As the game headed down the final straight, Meath watched their six-point lead fade away. Shane Walsh kicked a terrific two-point free, Cillian McDaid and Liam Silke hit for goals, Robert Finnerty swung over a free and suddenly, Galway were three clear.

Robbie Brennan’s outfit showed outstanding composure in the clutch. Captain Eoghan Frayne hit his first from play before the game-changing moment came.

The short kickout to Johnny McGrath was set upon by Jordy Morris. Immediately, the Royals went for broke. Matthew Costello teed up Morris and he got a well-deserved moment to celebrate in front of the Hill on his knees.

Morris missed with his first three shots and was turned over repeatedly. He persisted through that to give an awesome performance in Croke Park. His final tally was 1-6.

“Emotions are fairly high at the minute. Probably the only group in the country who thought we could make it this far, so we’re going to keep pushing on now,” said the Man of the Match.

The slips 

A third game in a row was always going to be tricky for a squad who were managing several injuries. Galway’s start was poor. In the end, they turned the ball over 20 times. Meath sourced 2-6 of their total from turnovers.

That wastefulness resulted in a level of accuracy across the board. Dylan McHugh tried to round goalkeeper Billy Hogan but his left-foot effort was weak and went wide. Their final conversion rate was 52%. As they were chasing at the end, Paul Conroy went for a two-point and dropped it short.

To his credit, Damien Comer came in and thrived on the chaos. He was fouled twice for converted frees, one of which was a two-pointer. The goal came from a ball kicked directly into him. 

He scored from a tight angle to cut the gap to two in the dying moments. Meath tried various matchups and brought Sean Rafferty back on in a bid to counter him.

The end-game 

Game-based scenarios are a fundamental part of any training session. Increasingly, teams are planning for what to do when chasing or protecting a lead in the closing moments. The hooter has introduced an entirely new dynamic.

Shane Walsh’s outstanding kick yielded an orange flag to make the difference one point. Galway desperately needed the ball. From that final kickout, Billy Hogan was able to get it away short to the corner. Suddenly, maroon jerseys were chasing in a desperate panic.

How Meath navigated their way up the sideline in front of the Hogan Stand was immense. Throughout, they were visibly checking the big screen at the Hill end to ensure they controlled the closing seconds. After every foul, they made sure to take their time. 

This was a cruel and slow execution. It came to a head in the corner as Matthew Costello forced another free. 

Meath went slow and eventually kicked a deliberate wide. Connor Gleeson tried to take a kickout to himself but the clock beat him to it. The Royals march on, one step from their first All-Ireland final since 2001.