Meath took a shock win against Kerry in O’Connor Park to top Group 2 of the All-Ireland Football Championship to condemn Kerry to the preliminary quarter-final.

The Royals looked faster, fitter and more physical than the Kingdom all day long and reaped their reward, gaining a crucial week off next weekend.

Meath’s command of the breaking ball saw them go in at the break 14 points to 6 ahead. The Royals dominated the first-half, keeping Kerry scoreless for the first 11 minutes before a Kingdom flurry saw them go 5 points to 3 ahead.

The middle third of the half saw seven unanswered Royal points, two of them being two pointers from Eoghan Frayne and Ruairi Kinsella.

David Clifford felt he could have had a penalty after being fouled on the edge of the square but a free was given by referee Joe McQuillan.

A black card for Cathal Hickey off the second-half throw-in threatened to undo Meath’s good work, and it looked to be so at the start of the third quarter as Clifford scored to put the Kingdom within two.

But the Royals rallied, and a brace of two pointer’s in 90 seconds from Kinsella and Conor Duke saw the them go seven up, before the game was sealed by a Bryan Menton goal 12 minutes from time.

Kerry scored the next 2 points but at that stage it was too little too late as Ciarán Caulfield put some gloss on the result for Meath to take a big 9-point win.

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy (0-1), Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Tadhg Morley, Mike Breen (48'), Gavin White (C); Joe O’Connor, Mark O’Shea (60'); Graham O’Sullivan (60'), Tony Brosnan (0-2), Micheál Burns (0-1) (48'); David Clifford (0-5 (1 tp, 1 f)), Killian Spillane (0-3 (2f)) (67'), Dylan Geaney (0-4)

Replacements used: Dylan Casey (48'), Dara Moynihan (67'), Conor Geaney (60'), Seán O’Brien (60'), Ruairí Murphy (48')

Meath: Billy Hogan (0-1 (1f)), Seamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty (68'), Ronan Ryan, Donal Keogan (0-1), Seán Coffey, Ciarán Caulfield (0-1), Bryan Menton (1-0), Adam O’Neill (35'), Conor Duke (0-5 (1tp)), Ruairí Kinsella (0-5 (2tp)) (68'), Cathal Hickey (54'), Jordan Morris (0-2 (1f)), Keith Curtis (0-1), Eoghan Frayne (C) (0-5 (2f, 1tp)) (62')

Replacements used: Eoin Harkin (54'), James McEntee (68'), Cian McBride (35'), Shane Walsh (62'), Diarmuid Moriarty (68')

Sin é!

Thanks for joining us, as Meath take a big win back to Navan.

The Munster champions were very poor, but a lot of that was due to how the Royals made them look.

Paudie Clifford was missed big time for the Kerry as Meath ran riot in the middle third of the pitch. Ruairí Kinsella and Ciarán Caulfield were massive for the Leinster finalists today

The Royals abdicate the Kingdom from the Group 2 throne to give themselves a big week off, while Kerry have a home prelim next weekend.

Is it time to coronate Meath as giant-killers after this and their win against Dublin in the Leinster Championship? I'll leave that decision up to you.

Take care, and enjoy your weekend (or try to if you're supporting Kerry)!

FULL-TIME - Kerry 0-16 - 1-22 Meath

Meath go through!

What a result for the Royals, as they dispatch Kerry well in Portlaoise.

That sends the Kingdom to a home preliminary quarter-final in Killarney, while Meath have a well-deserved week off.

Kerry have a lot of work to do after that, and the Power Rankings might see a change after that showing.

Meath point

Ciarán Caulfield gets in on the action, pointing well.

He deserves that after his performance.

Kerry 0-16 - 1-22 Meath

Meath subs

James McEntee and Diarmuid Moriarty replace Ruairí Kinsella and Seán Rafferty respectively.

What a game Kinsella has had.

Still 0-16 to 1-21.

Kerry sub

Meath have an effort go wide and Dara Moynihan comes in for Killian Spillane for Kerry late on.

Meath playing keep ball

No need for Meath to score here, they're keeping control very well here.

Kerry point

Let's not write it off too soon,

Six to go here and Tony Brosnan scores to bring the defecit to eight.

Kerry 0-16 - 1-21 Meath

Clifford goal chance goes over

Clifford had a half-chance at goal which goes over the bar.

Kerry 0-15 - 1-21 Meath

Meath sub

Eoghan Frayne comes off for Shane Walsh, he's played well today.

Yellow card and sub for Kerry

Jason Foley picks up a yellow for Kerry, while the Kingdom replace Graham O'Sullivan and Mark O'Shea for Conor Geaney and Seán O'Brien respectively.

Kerry 0-14 - 1-21 Meath

GOAL MEATH

Could that be it?!

Bryan Menton rifles home past Ryan to put them 10 up!

Kerry 0-14 - 1-21 Meath

Another 2 for Meath!

Conor Duke repeats the feat!

Just like that, it's a seven point game!

Where did that come from?

Kerry 0-14 - 0-21 Meath

2-POINTER Kinsella

That's a big, big score!

Kinsella brings it out to 5 points.

Kerry 0-14 - 0-19 Meath

A goal would be huge

Cathal Hickey has a big chance to score a goal, but Ryan saves well, and somehow the rebound isn't turned in.

At this stage, you feel a Meath goal would kill off the game, and a Kingdom one would give them massive oxygen.

Eoin Harkin is on for Hickey as any card would see him sent off.

Kerry 0-14 - 0-16 Meath

Meath point

They needed that, big time.

Ruairí Kinsella shoots and scores to make it 0-17 - 0-14 to Meath.

Clifford scores for Kerry

It's back to two in it!

Clifford spins and shoots to tighten up the game.

Kerry 0-14 - 0-16 Meath

Kerry point

Paul Murphy opens his tally for the day after a Clifford free goes short.

Kerry 0-13 - 0-16 Meath

Spillane points from free

Twenty minutes left here and Spillane atones for his earlier miss.

Kerry 0-12 - 0-16 Meath

Kerry subs

Mike Breen and Micheál Burns are off for Kerry.

Dylan Casey and Ruairí Murphy replace them at centre-back and wing-forward respectively.

Kerry 0-11 - 0-16 Meath

Spillane puts Kerry free short

Hogan collects Spillane's free effort from wide out.

Cork are 3 up against Roscommon with 25 to go there.

Kerry 0-11 - 0-16 Meath

Duke points for Meath

Meath are managing the match well while they've been down to 14.

Conor Duke scores a big one to take them to 16 points.

Kerry 0-11 - 0-16 Meath

Meath point

It's been a bit of a battle around the middle of the pitch in the last few minutes, but Coffey scores to extend Meath's advantage.

Kerry 0-11 - 0-15 Meath

Kerry right back in it

Killian Spillane makes it a one-score game.

Kerry 0-11 - 0-14 Meath

Another Geaney point

Kerry look sharper, even if the black has changed things.

Geaney points very well indeed.

Kerry 0-10 - 0-14 Meath

Kerry point

Geaney has a goal chance but he puts it over!

Still some returns for the Kingdom.

Kerry 0-9 - 0-14 Meath

Black card for Meath

Straight off the throw-in Cathal Hickey pulls down Gavin White and gets a black for his troubles.

Meath have made a sub at half time with Cian McBride coming in for Adam O'Neill.

Second half underway!

Both teams have taken the pitch, and surprisingly, it doesn't look like there's been any changes for Kerry.

The thunder and lightning has started... anyone remember pathetic fallacy from Leaving Cert English?

Joe McQuillan throws it in to get us back underway.

Kerry 0-8 - 0-14 Meath

Changes have to come for Kerry

I don't see a world in which the same 15 comes back out for Kerry.

They've been poor on breaks and their forwards are living off scraps.

The second-half is coming up shortly.

Was it a penalty?

Personally, I don't think so, but Kerry will be right to feel aggreived after Clifford was fouled on the edge of the square while bearing down on goal.

A green flag there would've had the Kingdom in far different stead at the interval.

HALF-TIME - Kerry 0-8 - 0-14 Meath

It's a simple game sometimes.

Meath are working far harder than Kerry, in the middle third and in the forwards.

Their movement has allowed them to build a six-point lead over a Kerry side who simply haven't got going.

Jack O'Connor will need a big team-talk here to rally the troops, because it's been a poor showing in Tullamore for the Kingdom.

A big second half awaits!