Cork

1. Kevin O'Dwyer

Did everything that was asked of him. His brilliant penalty save should have given Cork a greater lift, and he also made a great effort to keep the ball away from John McDermott. Couldn't be faulted for the brilliantly-taken goal.

2. Ronan McCarthy

Spent a lot of time on Donal Curtis, and had great difficulty finding his feet. He did display some good skill when on the ball, but I still believe that he was constantly under pressure and unable to get into the game.

3. Sean O hAilpin

He certainly answered his critics with a whole-hearted display and effort to play Graham Geraghty from the front. He did a superb job, but was still found wanting in those brief periods when Geraghty found the vital scores.

4. Anthony Lynch

Was in trouble from the start, in that Ollie Murphy was allowed to take the front position in most tussles. He was caught ballwatching a little bit before the goal.

5. Ciaran O'Sullivan

Worked tirelessly but was unable to make the impact that he usually can in an attacking role. The few occasions that he did get forward ended up in some loose play and he would have been better off sending a pass into the forwards.

6. Owen Sexton

Put in a tremendous effort, especially in grabbing the breaking ball and helping the other defenders to distribute the ball out of defence. But he allowed Trevor Giles far too much room in the final quarter.

7. Martin Cronin

In difficulty from the start and I was somewhat surprised that he was allowed stay on Evan Kelly for so long. He was just too anxious to attack and forgot too much about his main role as a defender.

8. Nicholas Murphy

His contribution was limited in terms of creating space and play for his forwards. He was good in the aerial tussles and on the breaking ball but, like Meath's Nigel Crawford, he could have played a greater role in the attack.

9. Micheal O'Sullivan

Looked a good all-round footballer throughout and worked very hard to get the ball. Probably got more possession that the rest of the midfielders, but he spoiled a good performance by kicking very inaccurate ball into the forwards.

10. Michael Cronin

Worked hard but found it very difficult to make any inroads on Hank Traynor, and was also responsible for some poor kicking into his forwards when he got possession. Probably lost confidence as the game progressed and was eventually taken off.

11. Joe Kavanagh

A great talent, as he displayed in his super goal, but where was he for the final quarter? A great pity he didn't make more runs at the Meath defence.

12. Padraig O'Mahony

Worked hard early on and posed a real threat. Mixed the good with the bad, however, and his kicking let him down. Paddy Reynolds eventually left him completely frustrated.

13. Philip Clifford

The star of the Cork team. Unfortunately he didn't get enough ball but still deserves credit for playing a captain's role. A player for the future.

14. Don Davis

Another of the Cork players who tried hard throughout, but won little reward. There was confusion as to his position and as a result he contributed very little in the end.

15. Mark O'Sullivan

A Big disappointment, for such a strong player. He could have worked harder to find position, but allowed the game to pass him by.

Substitutes: 20. Fionan Murray - Looked threatening and deserves a starting place. 19. Fachtna Collins - Another strong player for the future. 17. Michael O'Donovan - Not enough time to make a telling contribution.

Due to an error in the production process, the Cork team's pen pictures in Saturday's newspaper were not in the proper order.

Cork

1. Cormac O'Sullivan

Did not have much to do in the shot-stopping department but looked safe under the high ball, and made a good effort for Joe Kavanagh's goal. His kick-outs were consistently long, seeking out John McDermott.

2. Mark O'Reilly

A fine all-round game, with his typical tight and tenacious marking. He kept everything tidy around his area and effectively played Mark O'Sullivan out of the game, and then gave substitute Fionan Murray very little room.

3. Darren Fay

Early on he was in no-man's land and was not as effective as usual. But as the game progressed he controlled the centre and, apart from Kavanagh's goal, nothing significant was allowed through.

4. Cormac Murphy

Was the one member of the fullback line consistently under pressure. Philip Clifford had him beaten whenever decent ball came into his area.

5. Paddy Reynolds

Started out very quietly on Padraig O'Mahony, but he gradually worked his way back into the game. In the second half he got on top to the point where he won all the breaking ball and O'Mahony was substituted.

6. Enda McManus

One of the more solid players, especially in his role in the middle of the defence. Very secure and dependable. Kicked a few loose balls but generally commanded that area throughout.

7. Hank Traynor

Produced a steady performance, especially in his combatative style of play. In a good all-round display, he did everything that was asked of him and was unfortunate to get the injury which ended his game.

8. Nigel Crawford

Probably had a less effective or creative role than he would have liked. He gave John McDermott very little support in any attacking sense, but having said that, his physical presence ensured that Cork didn't win any clean possession under the kick-outs.

9. John McDermott

Had a slow start and found the mobility of Michael O'Sullivan difficult to track down at times. His expected aerial dominence never materialised, but he was influential in the second half in his defensive role. Not one of his better games, however.

10. Nigel Nestor

Contributed very little in the overall game. Generally he was absent from the play and would not be happy with this limited contribution. He seemed unable to find the right runs to find possession

11. Trevor Giles

A very sluggish start and some of his kicking from far out was untypical: he went for scores instead of finding inside forwards. Made a huge contribution with his frees when the game was in the balance.

12. Donal Curtis

His workrate was very impressive, as he was moving to right half back at times. Also excellent at picking up the breaking ball and took his point well.

13. Evan Kelly

Probably the best Meath player in the first half. Fired over a few brilliant scores. Played more defensively in the second half, which maybe lessened his overall performance. 14. Graham Geraghty

Had some difficulty with his marker right through, but he displayed great patience. That was rewarded with three superb points in the second half which underlined his captain's role.

15. Ollie Murphy

His sharpness looked very suspect early on. But he then finished the goal in clinical fashion and then tried to go for scores from the more difficult angles. Made a valuable contribution.

Substitutes: 21. Richie Kealy - A lively and positive contribution. 19. Barry Callaghan - Astute substitution of a mature player. 18. Tommy Dowd - Important to the team and popular, as the crowd showed with its reaction to his arrival.