GAA: Dunboyne choker as Dubs hang on; CROKES LEAVE IT LATE: Kilmacud Crokes 2-7 Dunboyne 1-9.

IT WAS typical of any Meath-Dublin clash, tight, tense, exciting and controversial.

In the end hot favourites Kilmacud Crokes squeezed home by a point as Dunboyne were left to rue missed chances that would have earned them a deserved draw in this Leinster club semi-final at Navan yesterday.

A dark afternoon was lit up by two superbly wrought Kilmacud goals but just as they looked to be asserting themselves midway through the second half Dunboyne hit back to set up a grandstand finish.

Kilmacud needed to call on all their defensive experience to stave off the determined challenge of a Dunboyne side which lifted their first ever Meath championship just four weeks ago.

Conor Deegan, John O'Callaghan, Conor O'Dwyer and Johnny Magee were stretched to their limits by a sprightly set of forwards which just couldn't land the killer punch.

But the tackle of the day was Peter Ward's point-preventing effort as Kenny Gannon lined up a shot for what would have been the equaliser a minute from time.

At the other end in form corner-forwards Mick O'Keeffe and Ray Cosgrave were well contained and only showed sporadic bursts but what they did was productive and contributed enormously to Dunboyne's downfall.

Mick Dillon was always a handful at centre-forward while the wily Pat Burke stole in for a goal and a point. John Costello and Maurice Leahy were largely second best to rising Meath star Nigel Crawford who, at just 19, is a name we will be hearing a lot more about.

Brendan Reilly wasn't named in the starting 15 because of persistent injury problems and his recent lay-offs told as he looked a yard off the pace. But typically, Reilly was on hand to finish for Dunboyne's goal which injected real drama into an exciting match with 13 minutes remaining.

The athletic Gannon and Martin O'Toole fired them into an 0-2 to 0-0 lead which made Crokes sit up and take notice.

The Dubs were never fluent but a point by full-forward Robbie Brennan and another from Burke for parity were divided by a brilliant save from Dunboyne 'keeper David Gallagher as O'Keeffe got on the end of a Magee- Dillon move.

Curiously, Crokes manager Robbie Kelleher left Peter Ward and goalkeeper Mick Pender off the starting line up, replacing them with Mark Duncan and Mick Jones.

Ward was introduced however after only 15 minutes while pender warmed up on the sideline for the majority of the match.

O'Keeffe and Dunboyne's Andy McEntee traded points from frees before McEntee swung over a 45 for the lead again.

Reilly slipped as Jones palmed down a speculative lob from midfield as Dunboyne tried the seize the initiative.

Before the break O'Keeffe and Dillon grabbed points for a 0-5 to 0-4 lead and with wind assistance to come they looked a very safe bet.

But Dunboyne's fiery approach had the Dubs rattled and Gannon put the improving Tony Byrne away for a point after John Costello had taken full advantage of neat work from O'Keeffe. Crokes' first goal on 41 minutes from Ward took a deflection off Davin Reilly but it ended a great movement involving Cosgrave and Dillon once again.

Four points ahead Crokes looked comfortable but Crawford and Gannon from a free after Reilly was fouled reduced it to 1-6 to 0-7 again.

Disaster struck again in the Dunboyne defence when Watters didn't hold onto an O'Keeffe centre and after a great save by Gallagher from Ray Cosgrave, Burke followed up and blasted home from 10 metres on 46 minutes.

Within a minute Reilly had cancelled out that score by holding off Deegan as Byrne pumped in a high ball and judging the bounce to box it past Jones.

Gannon and Denis Gallagher should have done better with subsequent shots but Gallagher made amends to leave just a point in it again.

Cosgrave put two in it again and McEntee reduced it to the minimum as Kilmacud hung on by a thread.

KILMACUD CROKES

M Jones; C O'Dwyer, C Deegan, C Cleary; J O'Callaghan, J Magee, C Redmond; J Costello (0-1), M Leahy; M Duncan , M Dillon (0-1), P Burke (1-1); R Cosgrave (0-1), C Brennan (0-1), M O'Keeffe (0-2). Subs - P Ward (1-0) for Duncan (15 mins), P Walsh for Brennan (54 mins).

ST PETER'S DUNBOYNE

David Gallagher; J Dowdall, D Reilly, E McManus; P Watters, L Duggan, G McGovern; N Crawford (0-1), M O'Toole (0-1); Denis Gallagher (0-1), B Reilly (1-0), T Byrne (0-1), K Gannon (0-2), D Smith, A McEntee (0-3). Subs - L Reilly for O'Toole 51 mins).

REFEREE - E.Murtagh (Longford).