Football League Division Two: Donegal fight back to beat Meath 1-13 to 0-14

Donegal produced an escape act to edge out Meath 1-13 to 0-14 in the Football League Division Two game at Ballybofey.

A physically dominant Meath side looked certain winners as they led 0-14 to 0-10 with 12 minutes of normal time left.

But Caolan McGonagle scrambled in a lucky goal to give Donegal a lifeline and three more points secured the home win as Meath missed late chances.

Ciaran Thompson hit five points for Donegal but Meath will wonder how they failed to win the contest.

Donegal began the match with only seven of the starters from last year's All-Ireland Super 8s defeat by Meath and for the vast majority of the contest, the largely young home side were second best against the Royals.

But against the run of play, McGonagle poked in Donegal's goal through the legs of Meath keeper Andrew Colgan in the 58th minute after a high ball into the defence.

As Meath's nerve seemed to fail them, Thompson's fifth point levelled the contest two minutes later and further points from Eoin McHugh and Jamie Brennan sealed Donegal's win as the visitors missed further chances.

Points from Jamie Brennan and Thompson gave Donegal an early two-point lead but Meath were ahead by the 10th minute and did not trail again until the 71st minute.

Darragh Campion and energetic wing-back Niall Kane both hit two points as Meath led 0-5 to 0-2 and 0-7 to 0-5.

Two Thompson points did get Donegal on terms by the 32nd minute but an Ethan Devine scored edged Meath ahead again by the interval.

With the influential Michael Langan withdrawn at half-time following his busy recent football schedule, Niall O'Donnell did level for Donegal after the resumption but Meath responded with four unanswered points in seven minutes - including two Michael Newman efforts.

Two Donegal points were immediately responded to in kind as Meath remained four ahead after 58 minutes.

Only a goal was going to get Donegal back into the game and it suddenly came as the Meath defence failed to deal with Eoghan Ban Gallagher's high ball aimed at Hugh McFadden.

After Thompson levelled two minutes later, Newman missed a straightforward free chance to restore Meath's lead.

Substitute Eoin McHugh put Donegal ahead for the first time since the 10th minute with a 71st-minute effort and after Thomas O'Reilly missed a glorious chance to level from 25 metres, the home side played keep ball deep into injury-time before Brennan's concluding score.

With Donegal and Meath the only winners during the opening round, Declan Bonner's side are certain to lead the Division Two table after this weekend.

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