Down's promotion hopes were dealt a blow as Meath outgunned them by 2-11 to 0-10 at Newry tonight.

Jim McCorry's men knew that a win would guarantee them top-flight football next year but it was the Royal County who showed greater conviction throughout as goals from half-time substitute Bryan Menton and Padraic Harnan sealed the points.

The result means that Meath are now just a point adrift of Down at the top of the table, with a game each left to play.

Paul Devlin opened the scoring from a Down free but Meath took control with scores from Harnan, Eamon Wallace and Mark O'Sullivan (two frees). Conor Gillespie and Shane O'Rourke added further points for the winners before the break and Kevin McKernan's last-gasp point from distance kept the hosts in touch at the short whistle, 0-6 to 0-4.

Mick O'Dowd's men moved into a double-scores lead, 0-8 to 0-4, with O'Sullivan (free) and goalkeeper Paddy O'Rourke ('45') on target. Down rallied with three in a row but Menton's 56th-minute goal settled it and Harnan palmed the ball to the Down net two minutes from time to increase the margin of victory.

Meath - P O'Rourke (0-1'45); D Tobin, C McGill, D Keogan; M Burke, K Reilly, B Power; C Gillespie (0-1), A Flanagan; G Reilly, P Harnan (1-1), J McEntee; E Wallace (0-1), S O'Rourke (0-1), M O'Sullivan (0-3f). Subs: B Menton (1-2) for K Reilly, M Newman for S O'Rourke, D Dalton for B Power (BC), S Bray for E Wallace, J Wallace (0-1) for M O'Sullivan, S Tobin for C Gillespie.

Down - S Kane; G Collins, L Howard, D Turley; P Devlin (0-3, 2f), D O'Hanlon (0-1), C Maginn; P Turley, R Mallon; C McGovern, K McKernan (0-2), M Poland; C Laverty, A McConville, D O'Hare (0-2f). Subs: R Johnston for C Maginn, C Mooney (0-1) for A McConville, J Johnston (0-1) for M Poland (BC), B McArdle for P Turley.

Referee - B Cassidy.

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