Goals in each half kept the Kingdom on course for an All Ireland football final showdown with old adversaries Cork next month.

The match, however, will go down as one of the most disappointing semi-finals of recent times, a game lacking in any degree of intensity and riddled with the most basic of errors.

Kerry were full value for their victory, but much work remains to be done between now and the decider against Cork if the Cats are to lift the Sam Maguire Cup.

The harsh reality is that they overcame a very poor Meath side by just four points and who’s to say what might have happened had the loser’s last minute goal arrived a few minutes earlier.

No wonder Kerry manager Jack O’Connor was in a subdued mood at the finish.

”The objective in any semi-final is to make the final and we achieved that and we always knew we would get nothing easy against Meath,” said O’Connor.

“People were writing Meath off all week and it was a perfect scenario for them.

“It was always going to be a difficult match for us after the high of the Dublin match in the quarter- final.

“We were never going to repeat our display of the Dublin match.

“That was a total one off, a once in a lifetime. Conditions too were more difficult and Meath’s defence was never going to sit back.”

O’Connor was quick to acknowledge the contribution of substitute Tommy Walsh.

“It was only midway through the first-half when we introduced Tommy Walsh that things began to happen,” he added.

“The way we played against Meath wouldn’t exactly frighten the living daylights out of Cork, but it’s good to see a county with Meath’s tradition back in contention again.”

Kerry’s full forward line was totally ineffective until the arrival of Walsh, son of the original super sub Seanie Walsh, but the impending return of Kieran Donaghy will offer Kerry far greater attacking options.

Meath, the rank outsiders, needed all the luck in the world to survive, but instead it was Kerry who enjoyed that precious commodity as early as the third minute.

Colm Cooper made the most of a challenge from a Meath defender to win a dubious penalty converted by Darren O’Sullivan.

Meath, uncertain and unsure of themselves, struggled to get into the match, but had to wait until the 14th minute for Brian Farrell’s opening point.

Three Cian Ward points kept them in touch and despite hitting 11 wides the losers only trailed 1-3 to 0-4 at the interval.

Within 60 seconds of the restart Kerry had claimed goal number two through Walsh and when they opened up an eight point lead you feared for Meath, but they dug deep and twice Kerry goalkeeper Diarmaid Murphy had to be quickly off his line to deny Meath the goal they badly needed.

Tagdh Kennelly then kicked Kerry’s last point of the afternoon before a late Meath rally yielded a

goal and a point from Cian Ward which was the least he deserved.

KERRY: D Murphy’ M O’ Se, T Griffin, T O’Sullivan; T O’Se, M McCarthy, K Young; D O Se, S Scanlon; D Walsh, T Kennelly 0-2, P Galvin; C Cooper 0-3 Declan O’Sullivan, Darren O’Sullivan. 1-1

Subs: T Walsh 1-2 for D Walsh, A Sheehan for Declan O’Sullivan

MEATH: P O’Rourke; C O’Connor, A Moyles, E Harrington, S Kenny, C McGuinness, C King; N Crawford, B Meade; P Byrne, J Sheridan, S Bray; D Bray, B Farrell, C Ward. Subs: V Burke for S Bray, S Sweeney for S Kenny, N McCague for D Bray.

Referee: G O’Comnha (Galway).