The forecasted rain never materialised during the game, though heavy showers earlier in the day meant that conditions underfoot were slippery as proceedings got under way. Within five minutes, Louth had raced into a three point lead thanks to two free kicks and a score from play from Clarke, who was working well with inside forwards JP Rooney and Shane Lennon. But the signs were on the wall early doors as Ward broke free from the shackles of the Louth defence and crashed his effort off the crossbar, before running out of play. Moments later, Graham Reilly opened the Meath account as the game swung end to end. The first subplot in the drama occurred in the fourteeth minute as the recalled John O'Brien had to retire early due to an injury that he had picked up earlier in the week at training. The loss of the Sean O'Mahonys man was a blow for the Louth side, and worse was to come as Ward rifled the ball past Sean Connor to claim the first of his four goals. A free kick from Clarke was soon canceled out by Meath's Shane O'Rourke as the game ebbed and flowed. Winning clean ball in the midfield sector was proving difficult for both sides, but the Meath men's ability to clean up the second ball meant that the Louth forwards were devoid of possession for periods of the game. Leinster final villian Joe Sheridan broke free from Aaron Hoey in the twenty-fourth minute to open his account as Meath took control of the contest. However, a long ball into the Meath defence was flicked down by Lennon, and Clarke was first to react, before slipping the ball under Brendan Murphy. Rallied by the goal, Louth missed a couple of chances to extend their lead, often dropping the ball short and at times taking the wrong option. In true Meath style, the Royal County made Louth pay as just three minutes after conceding a goal, Banty's men got one of their own. A carbon copy of Clarkes, Paddy O'Rourke knocked down a high ball for the on-rushing Ward, and his bullet shot gave Connor no chance. A flowing length of the field move, two minutes later, resulted in a second point for Shane O'Rourke as Meath finished the half on the up, and meant that Louth trailed by a goal at the interval.
Half-time: Louth 1-04 Meath 2-04

The opening period of the second half was fraught with mistakes, mishandling and wides as both sides went in search of making the start they wanted. But it was the Meath men whose wish was granted with Ward to the fore. The Wolfe Tones and St Sylvesters men traded scores before the former added two more scores from placed balls as Louth struggled with the breaking ball in the midfield sector. In the game's most crucial period, two goals in three minutes from Ward, midway through the second half put paid to any Louth hopes of staging a comeback, and all but ended the game as a contest. Firstly, Meath capitalised on another breaking ball in the middle third, before setting up the Tones man to finish with aplomb, and minutes later, he claimed his fourth goal of the day, punishing a loose pass in the Louth defence. In reply, Clarke added three more free kicks to his impressive tally and though Keenan finished expertly from the spot after substitute Derek Maguire was upended in the square, it was all too little, too late. In the closing stages of the game, O'Rourke claimed his third point of the contest before Paddy Gilsenan put the icing on the cake, clinically finishing past the hapless Connor, for his sides fifth goal of the game.
Full-time: Louth 2-08 Meath 5-08

LOUTH: S Connor, J O'Brien, A Hoey, D Finnegan, R Finnegan, M Fanning, A McDonnell, P Keenan (1-00, pen), B Donnelly, D Crilly, R Carroll, A Reid, D Clarke (1-08, 0-07f), S Lennon, JP Rooney.
Subs: E McAuley for O'Brien, D Byrne for McAuley, D Maguire for Rooney, S Fitzpatrick for Carroll, D Reid for Lennon

MEATH: B Murphy, G O'Brien, C King, C O'Connor, J Queeny, S McAnarney, C Lenehan, S O'Rourke (0-03), B Meade, G Reilly (0-01), J Sheridan (0-01), S Kenny, P Gilsenan (1-00), P O'Rourke, C Ward (4-03, 0-03f).
Subs: P Byrne for Queeny, E Reilly for G Reilly, A Moyles for Kenny, M Ward for Meade, N Crawford for Ward

Referee: M Deegan (Laois)