Reigning Leinster and All-Ireland Colleges football champions St Patrick's, Navan, retained their provincial crown in a disappointing final in Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday. In front of over 2,000 spectators, the Meath men - expertly marshalled by Colm O'Rourke - led by seven points at the interval, and they polished off their opposition with three splendid goals on the change of ends.

It was a disappointing day for St Mel's, once kingpins of colleges football. They were always playing catch-up against a physically stronger side and, apart from a brief spell of dominance in the third-quarter, they looked to be out of their depths.

Their cause was not helped by some woeful shooting which saw them hit 11 wides over the hour.

It was Navan's Joe Sheridan who sealed St Mel's fate with two marvellous second-half goals, one in the 47th minute and the other coming six minutes from the end. The centre half forward had been a thorn in the side of the St Mel's defence from the moment he kicked the opening point in the second minute.

In control at midfield, where Damian Sheridan and Darren O'Toole forged total dominance, St Patrick's always looked threatening going forward.

It was left to substitute Alan Gillick to put the icing on the cake when he crashed home a third goal for the champions a minute from full-time.

ST PATRICK'S: S Murray; I Matthews, K Slattery, G Brennan; P Quinn, S Stevens, E Donoghue; D Sheridan (0-2), D O'Toole (0-1); B Regan (0-2), J Sheridan (2-3), J Friel; D Murtagh (0-1), P Treacy (0-1), S O'Connor. Subs: A Gillick (1-0) for O'Connor; R Kenny for Friel; E Carroll for Regan; R Shiels for Donoghue; B Smith for Matthews.

ST MEL'S: G Evans; D Davis, S Dorrigan, D Mannion; P Smith, S Lynch (0-1), D McRory; T Glendenning, D Smith; G Kelly, D Barden (0-1), E Ward; M Rafferty, W Murray (0-2), K Smith (0-2). Subs: D McHugh for McRory; P Melly for Glendenning; H Gibbons (0-1) for Ward.

Referee: M Monaghan (Kildare)