A strong opening and equally smart 10-minute period midway through the second-half delivered the home side a second league win, while also patching over long periods of Kerry mediocrity.

McLoughlin accounted for all of Mayo's scores in the second half.

Ulster champions Donegal flexed their muscle with a 10-point win in Navan, their first of the Allianz Football League Division 1 campaign.

The harsh and punishing reality of life among Gaelic football’s elite stared Meath in the face as they made their return to Division One after a 14-year absence.

A dogged Tyrone gave newly-promoted Meath a flavour of the realities of competing in Gaelic football’s top tier as they eased to a five-point success at Healy Park.

UCC never led at the Carlow college grounds.

“It is becoming an elite association and they are just catering for inter-county, while and clubs, third-level, and second-level are all suffering.”

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.

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

UCC are through to play St Mary’s University College, Belfast in the Sigerson Cup final in Parnell Park next Wednesday.

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.

Tyrone escaped from Navan with a narrow win and a place in the second round of the Qualifier series, squeezing out a courageous Meath side in an extra-time thriller.

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.

Derry 2-12 Meath 2-12: Meath manager Mick O’Dowd admitted next week’s crunch Division Two clash away to Laois will be “do or die” for both teams after the Royal County were denied victory in Derry by an injury-time Ryan Bell free.

Galway 0-15 Meath 1-12: You can only imagine the scale of the inquests in Meath this morning had Mick O’Dowd’s men not rescued a draw with a scramble of points in the closing stages of this bizarre game at a cold, wet Salthill.

Meanwhile substitute Cian O’Brien was the hero for Meath as his late equaliser rescued a draw.

Dublin 1-12 Meath 0-9: Rising senior star Con O’Callaghan led the scoring at Parnell Park last night with an impressive 1-7 as holders Dublin cruised through to the semi-finals of the EirGrid Leinster U21 football championship.

UCD 4-12 UL 1-9: UCD could be without Jack McCaffrey for their first Sigerson Cup final appearance in 13 years after the footballer of the year hobbled out of yesterday’s semi-final contest with a hamstring injury.

Sigerson Cup - UCD 0-11 NUIG 1-6: UCD may have a string of Dublin All-Ireland winners in their ranks but it was the accuracy of Westmeath’s John Heslin that saw them over the line in a good contest in Dangan yesterday.

Meath 1-10 Armagh 0-8: On goes Meath’s winter of content.

All-Ireland JFC semi-final - Templenoe (Kerry) 1-9 Curraha (Meath) 0-5: Classy Templenoe continued their relentless pursuit of Croke Park glory when they saw off the stern challenge of Meath side Curraha at Kilmallock yesterday afternoon, but not before they got an early scare.

UCD 2-18 DCU 0-12: UCD finished strongly to claim the Ryan Cup, following victory over rivals DCU in last night’s HE SFL Division 1 Final at Parnell Park.

Andrew Tormey scored 1-9 for Meath as they worked hard to secure a Leinster SFC semi-final against Westmeath on June 28 at Croke Park.

Meath 0-14 Cavn 0-12: Meath took the honours against neighbours Cavan at Pairc Tailteann but the spoils were shared out elsewhere as victories for Down and Roscommon ensured top tier football for both in 2016.

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.

Dublin 3-20 Meath 1-10

Cork 3-13 Meath 0-13

Meath 0-17 Galway 0-13

Dublin 0-14 Meath 1-05

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.

Meath 2-10 Mayo 1-11

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).