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

Paul Keane in scoreboard Watching this epic qualifier tie unfold in Portlaoise, Clare sweating buckets and Meath literally spilling blood, we recalled how Colm Collins once described the Super 8s as a ‘cynical exercise in collecting more money’ by the GAA.

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.

A record ninth Leinster SFC title in a row for Dublin but one that came in slightly unusual circumstances.

Michael Murphy will lead Donegal into an Ulster senior football championship final for the eighth time on Sunday hoping to get his hands on the Anglo-Celt Cup for the fifth time.

Fenton versus Menton; it’s the midfield battle that from Meath’s perspective could make or break their challenge in Sunday’s Leinster final.

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.

Meath 2-12 Fermanagh 0-11

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.

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..

Meath are eyeing up their first piece of silverware under Andy McEntee after cruising comfortably through to the last four of the Bord na Mona O’Byrne Cup.

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

Allianz FL Division 2

Those who partitioned Meath from Westmeath around 500 years ago didn’t do the Lake County any favours, not in Gaelic football terms at least.

Martin McHugh’s infamous ‘two-trick pony’ gibe regarding Colm Cooper has been turned back on him by Meath manager Mick O’Dowd who has labelled the Donegal man a ‘one-trick analyst’.

For a side with ambitions of taking down the number one team in Ireland, Graham Reilly accepted that struggling against the joint worst team in the country isn’t a great start for Meath.

An intriguing feature of the build-up to Meath’s first championship outing was the positivity of the players and their insistence that Dublin aren’t unbeatable.

Veteran Meath forward Stephen Bray has admitted that prolonging his inter-county career has required him to be “very selfish” and put a significant strain on his family.

Mick O’Dowd has ruled former skipper Kevin Reilly out of Meath’s Leinster championship opener with Wicklow and admitted it’ll be a ‘bonus’ if the stricken defender does return at some point in the campaign.

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.

Meath 0-13, Laois 0-13:

Galway 2-13 Meath 1-12: Allianz Footbal League Division 2: Galway’s exile from the top flight in the league is now in its fourth year but with four of their games at home this season and derby away ties to Roscommon and Westmeath also on the agenda, there is growing optimism that they are in a good position for promotion.

Meath 1-14 DCU 1-14: Meath will have key attackers Stephen Bray and Mickey Newman available for their O’Byrne Cup clash with Dublin.

The trend of the Meath SFC title not being retained since Dunshaughlin completed a three-in-a-row in 2002 continues, with Wolfe Tones sending holders Summerhill packing, 2-11 to 0-8, in a quarter-final clash at Páirc Tailteann on Saturday.

Three years ago, Meath opened their Leinster championship campaign against Kildare at Croke Park, and Paddy O’Rourke was thrown the number 14 jersey. Fear and self-doubt consumed him.

Meath’s Leinster championship challenge has been rocked by the loss of midfielder Conor Gillespie for the rest of the season.

Ulster 2-26 Leinster 3-21 (aet)

Ulster and Connacht overcame Leinster and Munster respectively this afternoon to book their places in the M Donnelly Interprovincial Football Final next Sunday.

Meath defender Bryan Menton insists they don’t need a slice of rivals Dublin’s vast sponsorship pie to catch upon the All-Ireland champions.

Meath champions Navan O’Mahonys strolled through to the county SFC quarter-finals with a 0-10 to 0-5 victory over Seneschalstown in yesterday’s fourth-round clash at Stamullen.

Dublin 2-15 Meath 0-14

Mickey Burke has been named in the Meath team to take on defending champions Dublin in Sunday's Leinster SFC final at Croke Park (throw-in 2pm).

There are two changes to the Meath defence for their Leinster SFC semi-final clash with Wexford at Croke Park on Sunday (throw-in 2pm).

Wicklow 1-12 Meath 1-17

Meath manager Mick O'Dowd has included two Championship debutants in his team to face Wicklow in Saturday's Leinster SFC quarter-final in Aughrim (throw-in 7pm).

Allianz FL Division 3 final

Dublin Institute of Technology 3-08 University College Cork 0-07

Dublin Institute of Technology 3-8 University College Cork 0-7

DIT and UCC booked their places in tomorrow's Sigerson Cup Final at 3pm in Athlone IT following semi-final wins over DCU and AIT respectively this afternoon.