Meath SFC Final: Mathew Costello digs deep to drive Dunshaughlin to first title in 22 years

The clock had just ticked into the 52nd minute in Navan when Dunshaughlin’s Mathew Costello stood over a free in his own team’s defence.
It was a simple play – pick out the nearest man and build an attack. The Meath vice-captain read it that way too and tried to dink a short one to Niall Byrne but was errant and sent it straight to Wolfe Tones’ evergreen substitute Cian Ward who, at 38, showed he’s lost none of his predatory instincts.
The Dunshaughlin net duly rippled and suddenly underdogs Tones led by 1-6 to 1-5 and were within touching distance of just a third Meath SFC title.
The 2021 winners doubled their advantage shortly after but after the year that Costello has put down – he lost his father Paul last May before Meath’s All-Ireland SFC game against Louth – this wasn’t about to crack him.
The hour had almost elapsed when Costello got an outstretched leg to a loose ball in the Wolfe Tones goalmouth and directed it to the net. Then, deep into stoppage-time, he clipped over a tricky free into the howling wind to set the seal on a landmark win, the club’s fourth Meath title. Redemption.
“To be honest, with the year I’ve had, giving the ball away in our full-back line was the least of my worries,” said Costello afterwards. “When something like that happens, you just take it on the chin and go again.
“Straight away I turned around and three or four players came straight to me and said, ‘Come on, let’s go’. They knew I had it in me to go again, just as I knew they had it in them to go again.”
It’s Dunshaughlin’s first title since 2002, when current manager Richie Kealy, an All-Ireland winner with Meath in 1999, was playing in attack. Dunshaughlin completed a three-in-a-row that season and went on to win the 2002 Leinster club championship, the last team from Meath to do so.
With all conquering Kilmacud Crokes now out of the picture in this year’s Leinster campaign, a youthful Dunshaughlin side crammed with hard runners and athleticism may fancy their chances again.
They will face St Loman’s of Westmeath in a provincial opener back in Navan next Sunday week.
Costello finished with 1-2, the same haul as club and county colleague Ruairí Kinsella who was named man of the match.
It’s a dream double of county titles for Dunshaughlin as their ladies also won their football championship.
They led 1-3 to 0-0 at half-time, Kinsella’s eighth-minute goal separating the teams but Dunshaughlin had the stiff wind and blasted seven wides.
Wolfe Tones were more direct when they had the wind and hauled themselves back into it, with former Meath forward Sarán O Fionnagain clipping 0-3 and Ward doing his super sub act.
Costello redeemed himself, though, with that decisive second goal for Dunshaughlin.
DUNSHAUGHLIN: T O’Sullivan; A Kealy, J Rushe, B Duggan; C McCarrick, D McKenna, Niall Byrne; C O’Connor, C Gray; D Fildes, R Kinsella (1-2, 1f), M Costello (1-2, 2f); A Murphy, C Duke (0-1), L Mitchell (0-1, 1f).
Subs: J McDonagh for Mitchell (h/t), F Blake (0-1) for McKenna (48 mins), F Hartigan for Fildes (56), Neil Byrne for Murphy (58), F Toolan for Duggan (63).
WOLFE TONES: C O Gallachoir; S Glynn, D O’Neill (0-1), C Sheppard; S Penny, B Ó Fionnagain, N O’Reilly; A Callaghan, A O’Neill; A Crawford, O Martin, C Ward; T O’Reilly (0-4, 4f), F Ward, S O Fionnagain (0-3).
Subs: C Ward (1-0) for Callaghan (45 mins), S Sheppard for Crawford (52).
Referee: P Coyle (Curraha).