Leinster Senior Football Championship semi-final: Dublin v Meath (tomorrow, Croke Park, 6.35pm, live on RTE1)
DUBLIN are massively fancied to secure an 11th Leinster final appearance in 12 years when they come up against old rivals Meath at Croke Park tomorrow.
The blue machine has tasted defeat just once in their province since losing to Westmeath in 2004 and that was against Meath in the 2010 semi-final when the Royals banged in five goals.
With Mick O’Dowd’s side priced around the 14/1 mark, they will need to go goal crazy once again to get the better of their neighbours.
Since that win six years ago it has been getting progressively more one-sided in this famed rivalry.
Dublin won the 2012 Leinster final by three points, the 2013 final by seven points and the 2014 final by a massive 16 points.
Jim Gavin should also have a stronger squad than the one that eased past Laois in the quarter-final as Paddy Andrews has returned from injury.
Eoghan O’Gara and Con O’Callaghan are also believed to be pushing hard for first 15 spots.
O’Dowd, meanwhile, has kept faith with the same side that was relatively comfortable in their derby win over Louth.
They took the game to the Wee county and they must play with a similar style tomorrow.
If they sit in deep it simply becomes damage limitation because there’s no county as good as Dublin for simply overpowering a massed defence.
Speedsters Eamon Wallace and Mickey Newman caused havoc against Louth while the exciting Cillian O’Sullivan should revel in the wide open spaces of Croke Park.
Half-forwards Wallace, O’Sullivan and Graham Reilly will drop deep and break at pace in what will be the county’s main attacking approach. Dublin’s game with Laois was effectively over after 14 seconds when Dean Rock fired to the net.
It is imperative that Meath start this match strongly and see out that inevitable early Dublin blitz.
However, regardless of how well they perform in the first 20 minutes, the margin of victory rather than the actual result seems the only thing that is up for discussion at Croke Park.
Odds:
Dublin: 1/50
Draw: 28/1
Meath: 14/1
Verdict: Dublin
