Donegal deliver crowning performance against Meath in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final
Conor O'Donnell of Donegal celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Meath at Croke Park. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Donegal have swept Meath aside with ease to set up a renewal of their 2014 All-Ireland final with Kerry.
This All-Ireland semi-final was effectively over when Jim McGuinness called Michael Murphy ashore in the 45th minute, a clear acknowledgement that the job was done.
There were still eight points in it at that stage, 1-15 to 0-10, but Donegal were in a menacing mood and all the signs pointed to more misery for Meath ahead.
With relentless running power they picked holes in Meath's cover all afternoon and off the platform of Shaun Patton's booming kick-out in the second half they really went to town on the summer's surprise packages, handing them a dose of reality at this level after wins earlier in the season against Dublin and Kerry and more recently an All-Ireland quarter-final over Galway.
Meath just couldn't defend the Patton kick-out and two of Donegal's three goals after the break came directly off it.
On 42 minutes, Caolan McColgan got in behind to set up Oisín Gallen who, after a right battle with Seán Rafferty in the first half, stepped outside to beat Billy Hogan with a rasping shot off his left.
Meath's Mathew Costello is chased down by Donegal's Michael Murphy, left, and Michael Langan during the semi-final at Croke Park. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
And on 58 minutes, they repeated it with Meath misjudging the length again to allow Patrick McBrearty, substitute Jason McGee and Gallen to create an opening for Conor O'Donnell for a 3-21 to 0-13 lead.
In between those goals, Donegal's pace on the break was best exemplified when they got a turnover deep in their own half and surged forward through Peadar Mogan, Shane O'Donnell, and Ryan McHugh to put in Ciaran Moore for a 2-16 to 0-11 lead.
Meath mistakes multiplied as they struggled to find any fluency against the tide of wind-supported Donegal attacks. They simply couldn't live with the speed of the Donegal movement.
They had been hanging on for dear life in the opening half when, with wind benefit, they still trailed by 0-13 to 0-8.
Donegal had goal chances, with Michael Murphy shooting over for a point off his left from close range and Hugh McFadden being denied by Hogan at different times.
Meath hunted two-pointers but were wide with four efforts and with another two dropping short, it felt like a tactic that has served them well all season deserted them.
Jordan Morris, star of their quarter-final win, was well shackled by Brendan McCole and finished with just one point from four shots.
Meath really struggled with their kick-out in the first half, retaining just eight from 19 and that was the source of so many Donegal attacks.
Meath's 15 wides didn't help, while another three dropped short, but they were outclassed here in a manner that was sobering and the scale of the defeat will take a little bit of the shine off some of their earlier achievements.
After a period of congestion Donegal have rediscovered strong form and players like Shane and Conor O'Donnell, McHugh, Ciaran Moore and midfielder Michael Langan really hurt Meath.
Murphy finished with 0-6, including a two-point free, before he went off while his replacement McBrearty chipped in with three points.
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