Division Two Semi-finals/Meath 2-14 Fermanagh 0-15: The result doesn't matter a whole lot, but there is some value in the Division Two semi-finals. With the heavy traffic and rising temperatures in Clones yesterday it almost felt like the championship - and those calm afternoons of the league are now clearly at an end, at least for the working media.

On the field on play, it was a little different. Meath booked their place in next weekend's final by softly killing off the challenge of Fermanagh, and neither team lifted themselves into the truly competitive realm of championship football. That's clearly for another day, and in the end it proved little more than Meath are on the rise again, while Fermanagh will do very well to revisit their heights of last summer.

There were 13,635 in the ground to watch the semi-final double-bill, but less than half stuck around until the end of this one. It certainly lacked the fiery edge of Monaghan's win over Derry, but at least there's the prospect of a competitive final - with Meath now set to meet Monaghan for the first time since the Centenary Cup in 1984.

Fermanagh were as disappointing as they were poor. They let the first 35 minutes slip by without once displaying the sort of confidence and self-belief that manager Charlie Mulgrew had so impressively instilled last summer. Rory Gallagher was by far their best forward, while Stephen Maguire and Tom Brewster were mere passengers. Their midfield pairing of Martin McGrath and Liam McBarron didn't survive the 70 minutes and that was no surprise. Mulgrew has got to work some more magic if he's going to turn things around before the Ulster championship meeting with Armagh in three weeks time.

All this contrasts perfectly with Meath, who frequently played with the sort of vigour and fellowship that brought them such great success in the past. They're still a little rough around the edges, but Seán Boylan still has time on his side, as their championship doesn't begin until June 5th and the meeting of either Dublin or Longford.

Although the sides were level at 0-7 apiece at half-time, and were also level three times before that, Meath gradually converted their superiority on to the scoreboard during the second half.

Trevor Giles started it off with a fluke of a goal. Fermanagh goalkeeper Niall Tinney lost his footing during a kick-out, and the ball landed straight into the hands of Giles. He appeared to go for a point, but instead the ball dropped into the corner of the net.

Joe Sheridan added a point, and then 12 minutes into the half Niall Kelly scored their second goal with a more carefully crafted effort from close range, but no doubt helped out by some hesitant Fermanagh defending.

Now up 2-9 to 0-8, that was all the breathing space Meath needed. While Fermanagh did raise their game substantially in the closing stages, it was never enough.

"Today was important for us. The day after we got division status we started training for the championship, but of course it's great to get an extra game. It's also nice to be going back to headquarters," said Boylan afterwards.

The most telling comeback yesterday was Darren Fay, who appeared for centre back David Crimmins after 24 minutes and quickly blew off the cobwebs from missing all of Meath's league games to date. Niall McKeigue was another substitution having just come back from injury, although team captain Mark O'Reilly is still trying to shake off a leg muscle strain.

Boylan, though, won't need to rush him. The full forward line of Daithí Regan, Joe Sheridan and Giles is definitely starting to gel. Giles was typically clever with most of his possession, while Regan and Sheridan shipped in with three points apiece.

Graham Geraghty was composed at centre forward; the steadier, more patient game seems to suit him. The set-up in defence was a little more unfamiliar, but generally coped with everything Fermanagh could throw at them. And Nigel Crawford and Anthony Moyles lorded midfield - at least until Moyles was yellow carded.

None of the Meath players needed any reminding that Fermanagh had beaten them in the last five competitive games - twice in championship, and three times in the league. Mulgrew has only been around for one of those, and yet he clearly wasn't taking this defeat lightly: "We're very disappointed, because we just didn't get into the pace of the game at all. Meath dominated midfield, and it felt we didn't have any presence there at all."

MEATH: D Gallagher; B O'Reilly, K O'Reilly, S McGabhann; N McLoughlin, D Crimmins, C King; N Crawford, A Moyles; N Kelly (1-1), G Geraghty (0-2), P Byrne; D Regan (0-3, one free), T Giles (1-4, two frees), J Sheridan (0-3, one 45). Subs: D Fay for Crimmins (24 mins), M Burke for Moyles (50 mins, yellow card), N McKeigue for McGabhann (53 mins, yellow card), O Murphy for Regan (60 mins), R Magee (0-1) for Sheridan (68 mins).

FERMANAGH: N Tinney; S Goan, B Owens, R McCLoskey; R Johnston, S McDermott, D O'Reilly; M McHugh, L McBarron; M Little (0-1), Rory Gallagher (0-6, three frees, one 45), T Brewster (0-1 a free); C Bradley (0-3), S Maguire (0-1), E Maguire. Subs: R Keenan (0-2) for Brewster (half time), M Murphy for McGarth (43 mins), M Lilley for Goan (49 mins), J Sheery for McBarron (56 mins), N Bogue for McDermott (63 mins), Raymond Gallagher (0-1) for Bradley (68 mins).

YELLOW CARDS: Meath: A Moyles (50 mins, replaced by M Burke); S McGabhann (53 mins, replaced by N McKeigue).

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).