It might have been a different story had the Wexford champions kept a full complement of players on the pitch but when the game hit crunch time, and Ballivor were visabily starting to tire, they had already seen Eoin Bailey and Derek Butler trudge off after red cards.

To be fair to the Meath side, they were full value for their lead up to half-time as they hit the Geraldines with pace and precision to screech into the lead.

Indeed, after Shane Roche’s opening point inside 30 seconds, Ballivor reeled off a stretch of nine overs without reply.

It was a stage of the match that the New Ross town side just didn’t deal well with. Tails up, the whole full-forward line were on target, with Pádraig Geoghegan also doing serious damage from wingforward, as the Gers struggled to get out of their half.

After 25 minutes without a score, Shane Roche grabbed his side’s second point and from that score on the Geraldines would outscore their classy opponents.

The eventual deficit at the interval was eight (0-11 to 0-3), with Roche grabbing his third in injury time, but there was a different intensity from the visitors after the break as they threw everything at their opponents.

Only one point apiece had been scored by the 43rd minute, David Purcell becoming the second on target for his side, that was until Roche pounced on a Brendan Mcloughlin misjudgment and rifled to the Ballivor net (0-12 to 1-4).

No sooner had tails truly come up and they were down again as Ballivor won a penalty which Martin Doran converted. Eoin Bailey’s dismissal for the penalty was just as damaging, however, as his side faced into the last 14 minutes a man light.

It didn’t initially deter Geraldine O’hanrahans as Roche added two points to pull his side within six (1-12 to 1-6) with nine to go.

However, an irate Derek Butler was dismissed for an off-the-ball incident and while Roche added the next point to close the gap to five, that would be a hurdle too many to overcome as the Geraldines bowed out of Leinster.

Ballivor: Kevin Mckeown; David Raleigh, Tony Fox, Brendan Mcloughlin; Killian Canavan (0-1), Seán Heavey (0-1), Seán Corrigan; Brian Perry, Noel Kirby; Clayton Keegan, Joe Mclaughlin, Pádraig Geoghegan (0-1); Fergus Mcmahon (0-4, 3 frees), Martin Doran (11, 1-0 pen.), Adam Gannon (0-4, 3 frees). Subs. – Calvin Ryan for Canavan, inj., Richie Sherlock (0-1) for Mclaughlin, Thomas Raleigh for Heavey, Paul Kelly for Mcmahon.

Geraldine O’hanrahans: Leighton Thomas; Jason Purcell, Mick Kelleher, Kevin Burke; James Ryan, Anthony Purcell, Conor Cleere; Seán Culleton, Kieran Butler; David Purcell (01), David Crowdle, Derek Butler; Shane Roche (1-6, 0-2 frees), Mark Rellis, Mark Lee. Subs. – Eoin Bailey for J. Purcell, Danny Conway for Crowdle, Jamie Cullen for Lee, Mick Cleere for Rellis, Traolach Martin for Ryan.

Referee: Niall Ward (Westmeath).