Leading by a point with 54 minutes played, underdogs Meath had hauled themselves into a winning position against a county they hadn't lost to since 1951.

Donegal were 9-point winners against Meath at the sun-kissed Ballybofey, although the scoreboard only tells half the story of a gripping contest.

They were clinging on by their fingertips at the finish in Portlaoise but Meath are through to the Super 8s for the first time after edging an epic Round 4 qualifier.

The powerful midfielder crashed home a goal in the 31st minute to put Meath into a lead they wouldn't relinquish and his second with nine minutes to go killed the contest.

Bryan McMahon saved Meath's blushes with a late goal to turn a potential disaster into a battling Leinster SFC win for the hosts in Navan.

It was the result most expected but Donegal's journey to the Allianz League Division 2 title was anything but straightforward at Croke Park.

Meath 2-12 Fermanagh 0-11

Meath snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to take a major step in their quest for a return to top-tier football with this victory in driving snow at Páirc Tailteann yesterday.

There was a sensational ending to this fully-blooded Division 2 NFL encounter as a penalty goal from Barry Dardis in added time strengthened Meath’s promotion push at Pairc Tailteann.

Bruce Springsteen’s Glory Days blared out over the tannoy prior to the start of this Allianz League Division 2 tie at breezy Páirc Tailteann yesterday and while that may have been a bit premature for the Royals there were some positive signs in this hard-fought victory.

Declan Bonner, the Donegal manager, commended the resolve shown by his young side as they came from four points down late on to overcame Meath in a frost-bitten Ballybofey on Saturday night.

The fare on offer from both side was well short of what will be needed to win promotion but it was Meath who were happiest at the end of this dour Division 2 tie at Páirc Tailteann yesterday.

A goal from Stuart Lowndes on 54 minutes proved decisive, as Dunboyne captured the Meath SFC for the first time since 2005 at Páirc Tailteann yesterday.

Meath boss Andy McEntee expressed a mixture of delight and relief after his team boosted their prospects of avoiding the drop to division three following this polished display against fellow strugglers Down at Pairc Tailteann yesterday.

Tipperary 2-15 - Meath 1-10 

Cavan are sitting pretty on the summit of Division Two of the Allianz Football League thanks to a jet-propelled first-half display at Kingspan Breffni yesterday..

All-Ireland winner Patrick McBrearty showed all his big game experience with a dramatic 73rd minute winning point at Pairc Tailteann to send Donegal through to Round 4A of the qualifiers.

The Dubs will be a different story altogether in the decider.

Graham Reilly crowned his first Championship game as Meath captain with a thrilling display to help secure a Leinster SFC semi-final clash with Kildare.

Down 1-13 Meath 0-14: It was a long time coming, so Eamonn Burns was relieved to get Down over the winning line as they picked up a first Allianz League victory in almost two years.

Tyrone chairperson Roisin Jordan has insisted the county executive is fully behind Mickey Harte and his team, and fully supportive of their efforts to win a first All-Ireland title since 2008.

Allianz FL Division 2

Meath 2-22 Wicklow 0-9: There was a honeymoon start for new Meath boss Andy McEntee in this O’Byrne Cup tie at Páirc Tailteann yesterday.

O’Byrne Cup - Meath 2-16 Laois 0-14: Laois manager Mick Lillis has dismissed the suggestion that the appointment of Bryan Cullen as Dublin GAA’s high performance manager illustrates the widening gap between the capital and other counties in Leinster.

O’Byrne Cup - Meath 1-18 Carlow 1-4: Meath recorded a resounding victory against hosts Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday, with an early second-half goal from Mark Battersby sending them on their a facile victory.

Kildare 2-15 Meath 0-13: This game hinged on a two-minute period straight after the break, when Kildare found the net almost immediately after Meath had had a gilt-edged opportunity to blow this Eirgrid Leinster U21FC semi-final wide open.

Meath u21s 1-10 Westmeath u21s 1-08: Meath had keeper Jack Hannigan to thank for a brilliant block to deny Dylan McDermott a match-winning goal in added time in this Leinster U-21 FC tie at Páirc Tailteann.

Kerry 5-9 Meath 0-8

Kildare 0-21 UCD 1-05: Jason Ryan has raised the issue of college teams competing in the inter-county pre-season tournaments again after his side trounced UCD at St Conleth’s Park to set up a Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup semi-final against DIT on Sunday.

UCD 2-08 Louth 0-12: A goal with the last touch of the game earned UCD the points in last night’s O’Byrne Cup tie at Haggardstown, and so keeps the students in with a chance of a place in the knockout stages.

Dublin 0-15 Meath 0-10

Meath 1-13 Louth 0-10

SIGERSON CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

UCD 0-17 Athlone IT 2-7

The pre-season just keeps getting better for Kildare manager Jason Ryan.

UCD 2-12 Wexford 3-3

IT’S 20 years since Meath last won an All-Ireland minor football title but denizens of the county may find greater solace in their last final appearance, in 2002, when they were well beaten by a superb Derry team.

You may have seen it.

Cork manager Conor Counihan will pick from a full panel of players when he names his All-Ireland semi-final team this evening.

Meath full-forward Stephen Coogan grabbed a sensational goal with a minute of normal time to play at Newry last night to send his side into the All-Ireland MFC semi-finals.

Dublin claimed their 31st provincial title when overwhelming Meath in their Electric Ireland Leinster MFC final at Croke Park yesterday.

Dublin will aim to record successive provincial titles when they encounter near neighbours Meath in the Electric Ireland Leinster MFC final at Croke Park tomorrow (2pm).

Goals at the start of each half were crucial as Meath advanced to the Leinster MFC semi-finals with a win over Offaly in Tullamore yesterday.

IT was not as clear-cut as their momentous Munster final triumph four weeks ago but it was the qualities of grit and perseverance that saw Tipperary dig out a win over Meath in yesterday’s All-Ireland MFC quarter-final in O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.

THE Blue army may not have been on hand in their droves to witness it but a new era of Dublin dominance may just have been ushered in at Croke Park.

FOUR Dublin players are chasing a unique provincial minor double in tomorrow’s Leinster MFC final against Meath.

MEATH reversed a first-round result to advance to the Leinster MFC final at the expense of Louth at Navan’s Páirc Tailteann last evening.

DUBLIN attacking star Bernard Brogan last night insisted on Twitter that he was fouled by Kildare defender Aindriú MacLochlainn which led to the controversial free he pointed to hand Dublin victory in last Sunday’s Leinster semi-final in Croke Park.