Dublin boss Dessie Farrell has said he was very proud of his side’s character in defeat to Meath in the Leinster Football Championship as a 15-year grip on the Leinster Football Championship was broken by their neighbours.
Having barely been challenged over the period, the Dubs played their first last four clash outside of Croke Park in 29 years and came unstuck.
Farrell focused on the battling qualities of his players in almost turning around a dozen point disadvantage over the second half period of the 0-23 to 1-16 loss.
He stated: “Very proud of the lads, how they dug in there. I felt 12 points was a significant deficit to overcome at half-time.
“We fought to the bitter end. It just wasn’t to be, unfortunately. Maybe a lack of composure and decision-making errors let us down. In that last 10 minutes we got it back to four points. I thought we were in a good position at that point in time, but there was a few errors and fumbles.
“It’s the smallest of margins, but we didn’t come out on the right side of it. Great credit to Meath. They fully deserved the victory.”
Farrell said the Dubs simply must get their better players back on the pitch if they are to be competitive in the All-Ireland series.
With a host of debutants in the panel this campaign, it is changed times for the team which largely dominated the game for the last decade.
Farrell continued: “I think we will look back on the tape and review the performance overall, collectively and individually. We had a lot of young guys in the mix today, so today was great, great experience for them.
“It truly was a baptism of fire. It was a cauldron down there in that second half, it ebbed and flowed, and the crowd got in behind the teams. It was an amazing atmosphere. And you can’t replicate that at training.
“I’d say there’s huge learnings for a lot of the younger lads from that.
“We’re quite depleted today. I’m not taking anything again from Meath victory, but we need to get five or six potential starters that were missing today through injury [back].
“Sean Bugler picked up an injury during the week. Eoin Murchan, Cian Murphy, Sean McMahon, Luke Breathnach. They’re all potential starters for us.
“Hopefully get them healthy in the coming weeks and look forward to the qualifiers [round robin].
“We need to develop that little bit of depth in the squad for a day like this and it can come back to bite you. But I’m really proud of the lads and how they gave it everything and the young lads stood up and it just wasn’t to be for us, but a lot to look forward to.”
Meath manager Robbie Brennan said they targeted a defiant performance, admitting gaining the wind advantage to build up a lead at the break was crucial.
“It was a brilliant win, a brilliant performance by the lads,” he proudly claimed.
“We spoke about some kind of defiance and a bit of belief in ourselves and making sure we delivered that because we haven’t on one or two other occasions and the boys did that.
“We were hanging on at the end, I’m not saying it was all roses, but I was just delighted when the hooter went to get it done.”
Meath led by 12 at the break, 0-17 to 0-05, with the Royals boss planning to be attacking if the coin toss went their way.
He explained: “We were speaking about the wind, we knew about it because we had someone down there checking the weather so we knew it was going to be windy.
“We said ‘we’re here to win so why not go for it?’. We did and it just about worked out that way.
“We were probably hoping for maybe a 14 or 15 point advantage because it was a real strong wind, a tricky wind as well, so we were happy enough coming in with that.
“But we knew we’d have to defend against it because Dublin have so many threats from all different areas, so I couldn’t be prouder of the lads and I’m just delighted for them.
“I think, to a man and even the subs coming in, they all made a great contribution.”
Brennan has ties to both counties, with his father developing his love of the Royals from a child.
“I’m one of those strange ones, I’m half in one and half in the other you know,” he spoke of his roots.
“Dad brought me up as a Meath supporter, that’s the reality, and I used to get awful of abuse out in [Kilmacud] Crokes when I was younger. There was probably only three people in Kilmacud from Meath. I’m used to that kind of stuff. It has always been Meath [for me].
“It was bet into me. I was lifted over the turnstiles in Croke Park as a kid with the Meath jersey on and nothing has changed over those years,” he explained, before dedicating the victory to his father on an emotional day.
