With Donegal already promoted and looking forward to a league final against Armagh in Croke Park next weekend and with Meath safe in Division Two for next season this could be described as something of a game where the result didn’t really matter.
Donegal 1-18 Meath 1-10
by Charlie Collin at MacCumhaill Park
But of course that’s not the way teams at this level look at things and the aim is always to win and take away the lessons learned.
Jim McGuinness recently showed intent with his team selection, sticking close to the starting line-up of recent weeks .
Meath are just two weeks out from a championship game against Longford and made six changes from the team defeated by Cork last week.
Once again the weather was unkind with the rain never too far away and making playing conditions difficult.
Meath got the perfect start with a Cathal Hickey goal straight from the throw-in, finishing off a good move after a few seconds play.
Both teams were wasteful for the next ten minutes before Shane O Donnell opened Donegal’s account with a point from play. Almost immediately Meath were in for a second goal but Shaun Patton made a super save to deny Shane Walsh , a let-off for Donegal .
The home team continued to kick wides and lost team captain Patrick McBrearty with an injury, a worry with big games in the coming weeks.
After another lengthy scoreless period Donegal found their shooting boots at last with four quick-fire points , two from Oisín Gallen and in between those one each from Jamie Brennan and Aaron Doherty, 0-05 to 1-00.
James Conlon finally kicked Meath’s first point in the 27th minute but O Donnell and Gallen quickly replied and when Keith Curtis added Meath’s second point, Hugh Mc Fadden, Jeaic MacCeallbhui and Ryan McHugh all scored from play to make it nine points in ten minutes from Donegal to lead by 0-10 to 1-02.
Shane Walsh added Meath’s third point to leave Donegal four points ahead at the break 0-10 to 1-03.
Ruairi Kinsella and Ryan McHugh exchanged early second-half points and quickly Aaron Doherty and Ronan Jones did the same , 0-12 to 1-05 to Donegal.
Ciaran Thompson kicked a super point from distance and then Aaron Doherty set up Jamie Brennan for a Donegal goal and an eight point lead 1-13 to 1-05.
The teams exchanged points from that to the finish , Ciaran Thompson with a couple , Oisín Gallen , Niall O Donnell and Luke McGlynn for Donegal ,Jack O Conner , James Conlon , Donal Keogan, Curtis and Aaron Lynch for Meath as it finished 1-18 to 1-10 to round off another Donegal win, but some concern with injuries to Patrick McBrearty and Ryan McHugh.
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Stephen McMenamin , Ciaran Moore , Ryan McHugh (0-02), Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan , Hugh McFadden (0-01), Aaron Doherty (0-02), Shane O’Donnell (0-02), Ciaran Thompson (0-03), Jamie Brennan (1-01) , Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen (0-04 ) Daire Ó Baoill. Subs: Jeaic MacCeallbhui (0-01) for McBrearty ( 22mins), Niall O’Donnell 0-01 for O Baoill (h/t), Caolan McColgan for McHugh (53mins), Luke McGlynn ( 0-01,)and John Ross Molloy for McMenamin and McFadden ( 53mins),
MEATH: Billy Hogan , Harry O Higgins , Adam O’Neill, Brian O’Halloran. , Adam McDonnell , Donal Keogan (0-01), Ross Ryan , Ronan Jones (0-01) , Cian McBride , Diarmuid Moriarty Ruairí Kinsella (0-01), Cathal Hickey (1-00 ), Shane Walsh (0-01), James Conlon (0-02), Keith Curtis (0-02) , Subs: Jack O Conner 0-01 for Moriarty (55mins), Danny Dixon for McBride ( 51mins), Aaron Lynch 0-01 for Walsh ( 55mins), Micheal Murphy for O Higgins (57mins), Ciaran Caulfield for McDonnell ( 62mins).
Referee ; Paddy Neilan ( Roscommon).
