Dunshaughlin 0-10
Walterstown 1-11

Dunshaughlin's hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the hoganstand.com Meath Senior Championship took a massive blow when they went down to Walterstown in Pairc Tailteann.

Despite playing with the advantage of the breeze in the opening half and Cathal O'Dwyer giving them the lead in the second minute, Dunshaughlin will rue their first half performance. After that opening point, Walterstown responded with four successive points in the opening ten minutes through Madden, McCormack (2) and Tom Walsh. Niall Murphy scored a point but this was cancelled out by the Garlow Cross outfit in the 17th minute. Eoin Hagarty had a good chance of a goal when one on one with the keeper but blasted narrowly wide. O'Dwyer pointed in the 23rd minute from a narrow angle. But a minute later came the key score of the game when Walterstown goaled with a brilliant opportunistic strike, a half volley from Michael Clarke, that gave Ronan Gogan no chance. Two more points by Walterstown's Alban Crosbie and Walsh gave them a seven point lead but Murphy again scored to leave Dunshaughlin trailing by 1-7 to 0-4 at the break.

Dunshaughlin started the second half far brighter. Fergus Toolan pointed a free before O'Dwyer pointed again a minute later. O'Dwyer then scored three successive frees between the 7th and 12th minute to put just a point between the sides. But Walterstown responded well pointing in the 44th minute through Crosbie and although Toolan cancelled this out with a terrific point from play in the 47th minute this proved to be Dunshaughlin's last score and Waltersown went on to score twice more through Gareth McGuinness and Robbie McDonnell to eventually win by four points.

Dunshaughlin now face a must win game against Simonstown on Friday night and if other favourable but by no means unlikely results go their way in the final two rounds they may yet qualify.

Walterstown - K Lydon, P Reynolds, D Maguire, C McGuinness, J Geoghegan, D Reynolds, C McGrane, A Crosbie 0-3, J Farrelly, M McCormack 0-2, M Clarke 1-0, T Walsh 0-2, C Madden 0-1, G McGuinness 0-1, R O'Dowd 0-1. Subs - R Reynolds for J Geoghegan, R McDonnell 0-1 for C Madden.

Dunshaughlin - Ronan Gogan, Alastar Doyle, Kenny McTigue, Anthony Johnson, Denis Kealy, Caoimhin King, Tommy Johnson, Paddy McHale, Ray Maloney, Fergus Toolan 0-2 (1f), Eoin Hagarty, Conor Devereux, Tadgh O'Dushlaine, Niall Murphy 0-2, Cathal O'Dwyer 0-6 (3f). Joe O'Brien for O'Dushlaine, Fearghal Delaney for Doyle, Martin Reilly for Hagarty Tweet

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