Kerry edge Meath to secure U-20 final berth

Kerry are into their first U20 All-Ireland Football Championship final in 16 years after a dramatic one-point win over Leinster champions Meath in a sun-soaked FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday.

After they were level three times in the opening half hour, Kerry took the narrowest of leads into the half time break – 0-08 to 0-07, a lead they held to the end despite a late comeback from Meath in this exciting semi-final.

Cormac Dillon top-sored for Kerry with 0-04 while the impressive Jamie Murphy kicked over five of his side's 11 points in an epic end-to-end game of football between two evenly matched sides.

After Kerry opened the scoring with a wonderful Eddie Healy point inside 30 seconds, Meath surged into a three-point lead with just five minutes on the clock.

However, after a brilliant response from Tomas Ó Sé’s side, Kerry were back on level terms by the 10th minute with Tomas Kennedy, Daniel Kirby, and Dillon kicking over for a determined Kingdom side.

The Munster outfit, who impressed with some good tackling, quality fielding, and an attacking style of football, scored four of the next six points to edge into a two-point advantage.

When Dillon kicked over with eight minutes to go before the break, Kerry went ahead for only the second time before the impressive Luke Crowley put the two between them.

At this stage Meath were 16 minutes without a score before Jamie Murphy kicked over to make it a one-point game heading into the much-needed half-time break after an opening frantic half of football in Thurles.

The Royals, playing in their first U20/U21 championship semi-final in 23 years, started with the same 15 that overcame Louth in the Leinster final almost two weeks ago.

Kerry, meanwhile, made one change to their Munster