Meath progressed to the last four of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship for the first time since 2009 with a 2-16 to 2-15 win over Galway in a slow-burn thriller at Croke Park on Sunday.

After a forgettable first 35 minutes that ended with Galway leading 0-7 to 0-6, this weekend’s third quarter-final burst into life in the second half with all four goals scored in a breathless 12-minute spell.

Conor Gray and the brilliant Jordan Morris scored Meath’s goals, and while Cillian McDaid and Liam Silke found the net for Galway, the beaten Leinster finalists finished strongly to join Donegal and Tyrone in the last four.

While Meath can look forward to another trip to Croke Park in a fortnight, defeat represents a bitter end to 2025 for last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway.

Galway, who were pushed all the way by Down in last week’s preliminary quarter-final, led by a point at the break despite trailing for much of the first half.

Their midway lead would have been greater, too, had it not been for Meath keeper Billy Hogan, who did enough to put off Galway wing-back Dylan McHugh and force his shot wide.

In a madcap second half, it was Meath who struck first. After Morris (two) and Matthew Costello (three) combined for five points, substitute Gray poked home the game’s first goal to put Robbie Brennan’s side 1-11 to 0-9 ahead.

Morris quickly added to Meath’s tally, but after Shane Walsh nailed a much-needed two-point free for Galway, the Tribesmen roared into a three-point lead with a couple of finely worked goals.

First, Matthew Tierney teed up McDaid to fire high into Hogan’s net, before Maher drove at the Meath defence and set up Silke, who rolled a low shot into the corner to put Galway three up.

More to follow.