Two goals in a minute early in the second-half proved decisive as Dublin secured their place in the Leinster U20 final with victory over Meath at Pairc Táilteann this evening.
Those goals from Mark Lavin and Lorcan O'Dell extended Dublin's six-point half-time lead to 10 points and while Meath did manage to get back within three points in injury-time, Tom Gray's side hit them on the counter-attack for a fourth goal to put the issue beyond doubt.
Dublin started impressively and within 40 seconds they were off the mark with Mark Lavin pointing.
Less than a minute later Luke Ward forced Meath goalkeeper Sean Brennan into a brilliant save and from the resultant '45' Fionn Murray doubled the visitors lead.
Meath were not without their chances. They kicked six wides in the opening half and had a great goal chance after five minutes, but Jack Flynn's effort was brilliantly blocked by Conor Tyrell.
The Royals eventually opened their account in the seventh minute when Diarmuid Moriarty converted on the counter-attack, but Dublin's response was emphatic and three minutes later they had the ball in the net when Luke Swan pounced on the loose ball, after Brennan had denied Luke Murphy-Guinane, to make it 1-2 to 0-1.
Dublin were quickest to react to another parry from Brennan with Murphy-Guinane pointing and in the 12th minute Lavin scored a superb point to stretch Dublin's lead to 1-04 to 0-01.
However, then the chances dried up as Meath defended superbly, but down the other end kicked bad wides.
Murray ended the 18 minute barren spell when he stretched Dublin's lead from a '45', but it was Meath who closed the opening half with a point when Luke Mitchell converted a free to make it 0-02 to 1-05 at the interval.
The introduction of Mitchell continued to prove fruitful for Meath as he converted another free within 50 seconds of restart and after Colin Hawdon rattled the post for Meath the impressive Jack Flynn kicked a '45' to make it 0-04 to 1-05.
Then came Dublin's two-goal blast and while Meath responded positively with points from Niall Finnerty and Mitchell (free), it was Murray who settled Dublin with a rasping shot that was tipped over by Brennan.
Meath continued to press Dublin and hit six points in succession from Mitchell (three), Moriarty (two) and Flynn ('45') to close the gap to 0-12 to 3-6 with seven minutes left.
Lavin settled Dublin again with another free before Moriarty made it a three point game in injury-time. However the goal Meath craved never came and it was Dublin who sealed the deal four minutes into added time when Adam Fearon reacted quickest to his own drive that came off the crossbar to find the net and send Dublin through.
Meath: Seán Brennan; James O'Hare, Harry O'Higgins, Conor Farrelly; Aaron Chinchilla, Conor Harford, Oisín McCloskey; Seán Coffey, Jack Flynn (0-02 '45'); Niall Smullen, Niall Finnerty (0-01), Luke Kelly; Brian O'Hanlon, Pearse Sheridan, Diarmuid Moriarty (0-04).
Subs: Luke Mitchell (0-06, 5f) for O'Hanlon (22), Eoghan Frayne for Smullen (HT), Colin Hawdon for Kelly (HT), Conor Quigley for McCloskey (45), Ciaran Caulfield for Harford (54).
Dublin: Josh O'Neill; Conor Tyrell, Adam Rafter, Ben Millist; Rory Dwyer, Adam Waddick, Mark L'Estrange; Mark O'Leary, Adam Fearon (1-00); Mark Lavin (1-03, 1f), Lorcan O'Dell (1-00), Luke Murphy-Guinane (0-01); Fionn Murray (0-03, 2 '45), Luke Swan (1-00), Luke Ward.
Subs: Senan Forker for O'Leary (HT), Conor Chawke for Murphy-Guinane (37), Colm Walsh for Ward (48), Sean O'Driscoll for L'Estrange (54), David O'Dowd for Murray (63).
Referee: Fergus Smyth (Offaly).
