Three second half goals send Donegal into the comfort zone and a final showdown with Kerry

All-Ireland semi-final

Donegal 3-26 (3-1-24)
Meath 0-15 (0-2-11)

By Michael McMullan

Donegal have booked their place in the All-Ireland final with comprehensive victory over Meath on Sunday at Croke Park.

Second half goals from Conor O’Donnell, Oisín Gallen and Ciarán Moore put Donegal in the driving seat.

Donegal played against the wind and led by five points at half time with Michael Murphy and Michael Langan kicking a combined 0-7.

The Royals were rash on their shots with many of their nine first-half wides from outside the two-point arc.

At the other end, goalkeeper Billy Hogan denied certain goals for Conor O’Donnell and Hugh McFadden.

It was Donegal’s control of the middle third that saw them push 0-13 to 0-8 ahead by the interval with Meath having lost Bryan Menton to injury.

An Oisín Gallen goal shot Donegal 1-14 to 0-10 ahead after a McColgan run and the Ulster champions were in control.

Ciarán Moore added a second goal in the 49th minute with Hogan tipping a Thompson shot wide with Patton stroking over the 45.

Three points from Patrick McBrearty pushed Donegal further ahead with Caolan McGonagle coming in off the bench to mark his comeback from injury.

It got better for Donegal with Conor O’Donnell hitting the net after a delightful Gallen pass for a 3-21 to 0-13 lead with 12 minutes to play.

Dáire Ó Baoill became their 11th scorer with Langan taking his total to four and there was no way back for the Royals.

Donegal will Kerry in the final in two weeks’ time after the Kingdom’s 1-20 to 0-17 win over Tyrone in Saturday’s other semi-final.

Scorers for Donegal: Michael Murphy 0-6 (1tpf, 1f), Conor O’Donnell 1-3, Oisín Gallen 1-2, Michael Langan 0-4, Ciarán Moore 1-1, Patrick McBrearty 0-3, Ciarán Thompson 0-2, Ryan McHugh 0-1, Shane O’Donnell 0-1, Peadar Mogan 0-1, Shaun Patton 0-1 45, Dáire Ó Baoill 0-1

Scorers for Meath: Eoghan Frayne 0-5 (1tp), Ruairí Kinsella 0-3 (1tp), Keith Curtis 0-3, Jordan Morris 0-1, Conor Duke 0-1, Matthew Costello 0-1f, Seán Rafferty 0-1

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Caolan McColgan; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan, Shane O’Donnell, Ciarán Thompson, Ciarán Moore; Conor O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisín Gallen
Subs: Patrick McBrearty for Murphy (44), Jason McGee for McFadden (50), Caolan McGonagle for McColgan (52), Dáire Ó Baoill for McHugh (55), Odhrán McFadden Ferry for Mogan (58)

Yellow card: M Langan (32)

Meath: Billy Hogan, Seamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty, Ronan Ryan; Donal Keoghan, Seán Coffey, Ciarán Caulfield; Bryan Menton, Adam O’Neill; Conor Duke, Ruairí Kinsella, Keith Curtis; Jordan Morris, Matthew Costello, Eoghan Frayne
Subs: Conor Gray for Menton (INJ 20), Eoin Harkin for O’Neill (46), James McEntee for Lavin (50), Brian O’Halloran for Curtis (57), Shane Walsh for Kinsella (62)

Referee: Paul Faloon (Armagh)