Final verdict: Score-by-score

1st: Cormac Sullivan collects a short ball and Meath work the ball swiftly upfield through Evan Kelly and Ollie Murphy before Graham Geraghty is fouled. Ray Magee taps over the first score: Galway 0-0, Meath 0-1.

5th: Michael Donnellan floats over a 45-metre free: Galway 0-1, Meath 0-1.

6th: Pure Meath: Trevor Giles strips Joe Bergin and chips to Geraghty. The full forward spies John McDermott and the midfielder curls a perfect point, Hill end: Galway 0-1, Meath 0-2.

8th: Darren Fay fetches over Padraig Joyce but the clearance is spilled and Ja Fallon, in '98 vintage, steams through to fire a point: Galway 0-2 Meath 0-2.

10th: Ja Fallon plays a visionary hand-pass for Seβn De Paor who feeds Derek Savage as his path is closed off. Savage whistles a perfect flat pass for the through-running Joe Bergin, who blasts a point: Galway 0-3, Meath 0-2.

13th: Murphy economy. A long ball from McDermott and Ollie holds it for all of two seconds before finding his range: Galway 0-3, Meath 0-3.

16th: Ray Magee holds the ball on a free, looking for the runner. Nigel Crawford obliges and confidently sweeps a fine point: Galway 0-3, Meath 0-4.

23rd: Galway replicate the move, with Paul Clancy claiming a Michael Donnellan free and deftly shooting. Evens again: Galway 0-4, Meath 0-4.

30th: Bergin ventures into Meath country again and finishes a sequence initiated by Padraig Joyce and Donnellan: Galway 0-5, Meath 0-4.

31st: Padraig Joyce checks into the scoring stats, converting a foul on Tomβs Mannion: Galway 0-6, Meath 0-4.

32nd: Ray Magee, lost in maroon traffic, somehow finds space to make use of Nigel Crawford's pass: Galway 0-6, Meath 0-5.

35th: Geraghty is fouled by Gary Fahey, who receives a booking. Trevor Giles balances the score before the teams depart for the oranges:

HALF-TIME: Galway 0-6, Meath 0-6.

37th: Declan Meehan rushes clear and finds Ja Fallon, who knocks the ball on to Joyce. The Killererin man fires on sight: Galway 0-7, Meath 0-6.

38th: Evan Kelly murders a short Galway kick-out and races through to clip a point. Deadlock once more: Galway 0-7, Meath 0-7.

42nd: Savage hits the deck, whistle blows. Padraig Joyce is true with the free: Galway 0-8, Meath 0-7.

44th: Savage wins a 50/50 ball and seeks out Joyce. The forward, in the zone, shoots beautifully again: Galway 0-9, Meath 0-7.

52nd: Two minutes after Nigel Nestor is sent off, Meath foul Ja Fallon and Joyce punts the free: Galway 0-10, Meath 0-7.

53rd: In what has become a virtuoso show, Joyce is dead-eyed again. Kevin Walsh is the architect, swapping passes with Paul Clancy before finding Galway's go-to man: Galway 0-11, Meath 0-7.

55th: Now young Kieran Fitzgerald initiates from deep with the same result. Savage to Joyce and hoist the white flags: Galway 0-12, Meath 0-7.

56th: A Royal heartbeat. Geraghty whips a fine ball to John Cullinane, who points: Galway 0-12, Meath 0-8.

57th: Surprise! A Padraig Joyce point. Declan Meehan is the engine, Clancy and Savage the facilitators: Galway 0-13, Meath 0-8.

60th: With Meath reeling from Giles's penalty miss, Paul Clancy points: Galway 0-14, Meath 0-8.

63rd: Padraig Joyce edges Galway to Nirvana with a free: Galway 0-15, Meath 0-8.

67th: The free-running Declan Meehan breaks Meath's last line and opts to point though a goal was on: Galway 0-16, Meath 0-8.

71st: With the celebrations already beginning, Joyce closes an afternoon for fireside tales with a free.

FINAL SCORE: Galway 0-17, Meath 0-8.