Round-up: Electric Ireland Leinster MFC action
The Meath minors overcame Dublin at Parnell Park. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Leinster minor football championship semi-finals
Meath 2-14 Dublin 2-8
Kildare 1-11 Louth 0-10
By Paul Keane
A dream double of Leinster underage title triumphs could be on the cards for Kildare.
Just six days after the county's U-20s grabbed the Dalata Hotel Group provincial title, their minors powered through to the final at their grade.
Jack Doran fired the crucial goal in Kildare's semi-final win over Louth, propelling them through to a final date with Meath.
The young Lilywhites were never behind against 2025 provincial finalists Louth at the Hunterstown Rovers club outside Ardee.
But they also struggled to shake off a talented young Louth team led again in attack by Connell Kelly.
The son of former Louth forward and manager Colin Kelly nailed five points for the hosts who were level with just eight minutes of normal time remaining.
But Doran's well worked 52nd minute goal put Kilkenny into a lead they held onto and embellished with late points from Logan Tennyson and Fiachra Martin.
Kildare lost to Louth in Hawkfield in Group 1 last month but seized the initiative early on this time with the first three points of the game.
Eoghan Lyons, Páidí Ryan and Jack Reilly were all the mark though a trademark two-point free from Kelly levelled it up for Louth at 0-4 apiece.
Reilly and Donnacha Reidy traded points to leave the teams locked on 0-5 apiece at the interval.
Kildare won the third quarter to move three points clear before being reeled in again by Louth scores from Cillian Duff and Brian O'Neill.
But Louth, crucially, could never get their noses in front and when Doran netted it gave the visitors a vital cushion.
Trevor Giles' Meath will attempt to deny Kildare a first title since 2019 and to secure what would be a first title for themselves since 2021, the year they went on to win the All-Ireland.
Meath lost twice in Group 1, including a five-point home defeat to Kildare, but have bounced back impressively since then with wins over Laois, Wicklow, Offaly and now Dublin.
In those four games, Meath have scored a whopping 19 goals with this evening's two majors tucked away by Milo Stafford and Cormac McKenna.
Stafford, nephew of county great Brian, was the team's talisman again in attack and finished with 1-4 while McKenna struck 1-1. Captain Harry McGuirk and Conn Brennan split six points evenly between each other.
Dublin had home advantage at Parnell Park and led 1-3 to 0-2 thanks in part to Patrick Cahill's 16th minute palmed goal.
But the Stafford and McKenna goals arrived in quick succession and helped Meath to lead by 2-4 to 1-3 at half time.
Dublin restarted with points from Mo Salami, Max Morrison and James McCaghy and led 2-7 to 2-6 when Eoghan Madden scored their second goal.
But a terrific two-pointer from McGuirk ignited wind-assisted Meath who powered on from there with sub Leo Kavanagh among their late scorers.
