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Anthony Moyles "If this is entertainment, kill me now"

Five years ago, Dublin and Meath squared up in Croke Park for the 2014 Leinster Senior Football C...



Anthony Moyles
Football

Anthony Moyles "If this is entertainment, kill me now"

Five years ago, Dublin and Meath squared up in Croke Park for the 2014 Leinster Senior Football Championship final.

The sun shone over Croke Park that July Sunday. There was a  sense of expectation and excitement on the north side of the city as fans made their way into the ground hoping for something similar to the classics these two used to play out in years gone by.

These hopes soon faded as the Dubs, who were then looking to end their 37 year wait for back-to-back All-Irelands, gave a masterclass of a performance.

Their efficiency was remarkable as they sliced through Meath's defense with slick and quick passes. They made it look easy in front of the crowd of 62,000 spectators and earned their 53rd provincial success with a 3-20 to 1-10 victory.

Today, rain poured down over the capital and the grey clouds seemed to symbolise the dull encounter that was about to be played out in GAA HQ.

Nothing about this encounter was exciting, even for Dublin fans, even when it was close. The sense of inevitability was boring.

47,027 spectators witnessed Jim Gavin's side cruise to a 1-17 to 4 point win.

Meath manager Andy McEntee said before this game that this result would not define their season no matter what happened, but to only score four points in a Leinster final will frustrate him.

For those watching on, this will be worrying.

You can't help but wonder, is anyone going to give Dublin even a rattle?

They've booked their place in the Super 8's with a 26, a 15 and a 16 point win and yet haven't got near 5th gear.

Former Meath player Anthony Moyles spoke to Off the Ball at full time about the misery of the afternoon.

As less than 10 Dublin players 'paraded' with the cup in front of around 100 fans you could sense the worry in his voice as he spoke about the game of today and that of the past.

"It's like someone said here's something really good, we're going to rip it up and put in place something really, really bad."

"There has to be a better way to do this, I'm not saying I know the answer today...but if this is entertainment, kill me now."

Strong words but a sentiment you can only agree with.

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Dublin GAA Leinster Meath