Donegal registered the last 1-6 of an exciting Super 8s match at Ballybofey to defeat a spirited Meath side by 2-19 to 1-13.

The underdogs had battled back superbly to draw level at 1-13 apiece with 58 minutes played but when push came to shove it was the Tir Chonail men who were able to step up a gear, with Michael Murphy, Patrick McBrearty and Ryan McHugh to the fore.

McBrearty’s 24th-minute goal was the primary score of an entertaining opening period at the end of which the home team led by four points, 1-9 to 0-8.

Nine points were scored inside the opening twelve minutes, the Ulster champions stealing into a 0-5 to 0-4 lead. Cillian O’Sullivan and Jamie Brennan traded the first two points before deadly duo McBrearty and Murphy propelled the hosts into a two-point lead.

Jason McGee cancelled out Bryan Menton’s reply and Brennan’s second nudged the victors three ahead with ten minutes played. O’Sullivan and Michael Newman arrowed over the beaten Leinster finalists’ next two scores but an excellent Ryan McHugh solo point pushed Declan Bonner’s charges into a 0-6 to 0-4 advantage.

Eleven minutes from the break, the elusive James Conlon halved the deficit following excellent play by the marauding Donal Keogan but the reply from the Anglo-Celt Cup holders was devastating as McBrearty immediately got in behind the Meath defence and brilliantly buried his shot to the back of the net.

Niall O’Donnell’s point on the break left it double scores with eight minutes left before the break, but the visitors rallied with points from Newman (free) and the hard-working Bryan McMahon. A tidy Murphy point followed by another one from Michael Langan deep into added time ensured the winners of a five-point lead, McMahon’s second superb strike off the outside of the boot closing the first-half scoring.

James McEntee’s point gave the Royals an encouraging start to the second half and they were almost level when Conlon’s goal effort came back unluckily off the post. Donegal had another close shave when Gavin McCoy netted only to see the effort ruled out for a square ball.

McBrearty’s brace sent Donegal five clear but a wonderful Keogan run drew a foul from Ryan McHugh (yellow card), Newman calmly putting away the penalty before quickfire points from McMahon and Menton tied the scores up at 1-11 each with 46 minutes played.

Darragh Campion made it 1-3 without reply for Andy McEntee’s charges as they led for the first time but McBrearty (free) and McHugh points got the home side back in front, only for Shane McEntee to burst through and take his point to make it 1-13 each with twelve minutes left.

As Michael Murphy’s influence on proceedings increased, Brennan restored Donegal’s lead when pointing a glorious goal chance and substitute Oisin Gallen doubled the difference as we approached the hour mark in an absorbing, energy-sapping encounter. McBrearty kept his nerve to arrow over an excellent Donegal free and followed up with the insurance point from play.

Murphy steered over a 70th-minute ‘45’ and Gallen provided the icing on the cake when finishing off the second Donegal goal with his left foot in the second minute of injury time. Substitute Eoin McHugh brought the hosts’ late unanswered scoring run to 1-6 as they opened their Super 8s account with a hard-fought but merited win.

Donegal - S Patton; P McGrath, N McGee, P Brennan; R McHugh (0-2), O McFadden Ferry, E Ban Gallagher; H McFadden, J McGee (0-1); C Thompson, N O'Donnell (0-1), J Brennan (0-3); P McBrearty (1-6, 0-3f), M Murphy (0-3, 1'45), M Langan (0-1). Subs: D O Baoill for P Brennan, E McHugh (0-1) for C Thompson, O Gallen (1-1) for N O'Donnell, F McGlynn for J McGee, E Doherty for O McFadden Ferry, C Ward for S McMenamin.

Meath - A Colgan; S Lavin, C McGill, S Gallagher; D Keogan, P Harnan, G McCoy; B Menton (0-2), S McEntee (0-1); E Devine, B McMahon (0-3), J McEntee (0-1); C O'Sullivan (0-2), M Newman (1-2, 1-0pen, 0-1f), J Conlon (0-1). Subs: S Walsh for J Conlon, D Campion (0-1) for E Devine, S Curran for S Gallagher (BC), G Reilly for B McMahon, A Flanagan for S McEntee, T O'Reilly for C O'Sullivan.

Referee - C Lane.

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