Ruthless Donegal inflict heavy hammering on stretched Royals

ALL-IRELAND SFC SEMI-FINAL

Donegal ....................3-1-24

Meath .......................0-2-11

There's a scene from The Simpsons when Homer beats the Krusty Burlger and a child cries out 'stop! stop! He's already dead!', there was certainly a sense of that midway through the second-half of Sunday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final as Donegal drove home their advantage over wilting Meath.

When Ciaran Moore punished a Meath turnover in the 50th minute by firing a brilliant second goal for Donegal it extended the Ulster champions lead to nine points and put the game out of Meath's reach.

However, instead of easing up Donegal outscored Meath by 1-9 to 0-3 in the following 20 minutes to secure the joint-biggest All-Ireland SFC margin of victory since Kerry beat Monaghan in 1979.

It was just one of those days for Meath and in no way a reflection of the team that performed so heroically throughout this glorious summer to reach a first All-Ireland SFC semi-final since 2009.

Donegal were on a different level, and that should be where Meath aspire to be.

Undoubtedly the young Royals are on the right trajectory, but they are still shy of the consistent levels sides like Donegal are capable off and when some players don't reach top form, or they lose key men like Bryan Menton to a 22nd minute injury then performances dip.

After Menton's enforced departure, which saw him leave Croke Park in a protective boot and on crutches, Meath lost eight of the next 11 kickouts. Prior to his departure Robbie Brennan's side enjoyed their fair share of dominance, particularly on Shaun Patton's kickouts, but when Menton departed the tide certainly turned in Donegal's favour.

Meath went from being just 0-6 to 0-7 in arrears before Menton's injury to trailing by 0-8 to 0-13 at the break and narrowly avoided conceding a goal thanks to Billy Hogan's magnificent save to deny Hugh McFadden.

There was brief hope when the lively Keith Curtis pointed within 14 seconds of the restart, but from there to the end Donegal outscored Meath by 3-13 to 0-6, with each of the goals a further dagger into the already decimated heart of the Royals.

The early exchanges were frantic and frenetic. Donegal took the lead twice in the opening five minutes as Michael Murphy and Conor O'Donnell pointed either side of Ruairi Kinsella's score.

Eoghan Frayne used the wind to good effect to edge Meath in the sixth minute with a two-pointer, but that was the only time they had their noses in front as Murphy responded with a two-point free four minutes later after a foul by Mathew Costello on Finnbarr Roarty before Shane O'Donnell and Ryan McHugh added scores to make it 0-6 to 0-3.

A two-pointer from Kinsella, just Meath's second from seven such attempts in the opening half, got the Royal fans singing and the gap remained at just one when Michael Langan and Curtis traded points, but then Meath lost Menton and it all fell asunder.

After Eoghan Frayne dropped a two-point attempt short and Costello was short with a one-point try Donegal added scores from Langan, Murphy (free), Oisin Gallen and Ciaran Thompson, from a dipping effort that clipped the crossbar, to open up a 0-11 to 0-6 advantage.

Conor O'Donnell was denied a goal when Donal Keogan saved behind Billy Hogan and after Curtis clipped over his second point Hogan had to be alert to deny McFadden.

Morris responded with his only score, but Donegal closed out the half on the front foot with Gallen and Murphy, from a goal chance, blasted over to make it 0-13 to 0-8 at the break.

Meath scored two of the first three points after the resumption with Curtis and Frayne sandwiching a score from Conor O'Donnell, but then Gallen's brilliant finish found the back of the net and extended Donegal's lead to 1-14 to 0-10 - game over.

At that stage it was about damage limitation for Meath, but Donegal were ruthless.

Murphy and the man who replaced him, Paddy McBrearty, added points before Moore's goal made it 2-14 to 0-11.

Patton landed a '45' after Hogan saved from Thompson before Conor Duke and Frayne replied with points for Meath.

Donegal's response to the concession of those two points was devastating as they hit 1-6 on the bounce with Peadar Mogan, McBrearty (two), Conor O'Donnell, Shane O'Donnell and Langan lofting over, while Conor O'Donnell's goal helped stretch Donegal's advantage to 17 points.

Sean Rafferty stopped the onslaught, temporarily, with a point, but Donegal closed with three of the last four scores as Daire O Baoill, Langan and Thompson, in response to a Frayne free, heaped the misery on Meath.

There is no shame in defeat for Meath, as they are certainly better than they showed. They must take the harsh lessons that were learned and continue the amazing journey they gave the supporters this year.

Donegal - Shaun Patton (0-1 '45'); Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan (0-1); Ryan McHugh (0-1), Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Caolan McColgan; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan (0-4); Shane O'Donnell (0-1), Ciaran Thompson (0-1), Ciaran Moore (1-1); Conor O'Donnell (1-3), Michael Murphy (0-6 one two-point free, one free), Oisin Gallen (1-2). Subs - Patrick McBrearty (0-3) for Murphy 45m, Jason McGee for McFadden 51m, Caolan McGonagle for McColgan 53m, Dáire Ó Baoill (0-1) for McHugh 57m, Odhran McFadden Ferry for Mogan 62m.

Meath - Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty (0-1), Ronan Ryan; Donal Keogan, Seán Coffey, Ciarán Caulfield; Bryan Menton, Adam O'Neill; Conor Duke (0-1), Ruairí Kinsella (0-3 one two-pointer), Keith Curtis (0-3); Jordan Morris (0-1), Mathew Costello, Eoghan Frayne (0-5 one free,one two-pointer). Subs - Conor Gray for Menton 21m, Eoin Harkin for O'Neill 46m, James McEntee for Lavin 52m, Brian O'Halloran for Curtis 59m, Shane Walsh for Kinsella 65m.

Referee - Paul Faloon (Down).