Boosted by three goals in the opening nine minutes, Simonstown Gaels got off the mark in this year's Meath SFC against Dunshaughlin in the second round in Pairc Tailteann. Simonstown Gaels 3-7 Dunshaughlin 0-14 In what was a dream start, John Lunney initiated the goal rush in the second minute with a powerful shot to the top corner of the Dunshaughlin net. Shane O'Rourke added the second in the 8th minute when his point attempt dropped short before Lunney netted his second a minute later. Lunney scored the first point of the game in the 11th minute to leave the team in sky blue leading by 3-1 to 0-0 before Dunshaughlin opened their account in the 15th minute. Point from Cathal O'Dwyer, Ray Maloney, Trevor Dowd and Niall Kelly showed Dunshaughlin's character as they began to claw back the deficit. Three further points from Cathal O'Dwyer (two frees) and a point from Richie Kealy reduced the difference even further and left only four points between the sides at the break, the Gaels leading 3-03 to 0-08. Dunshaughlin narrowed the gap to three six minutes after the resumption but O'Rourke replied with a point almost instantly and frees from Wayne McCarthy (3) left Des Lane's charges six points in front with five minutes to play. A grandstand finish was inevitable and Dunshaughlin dug deep again and further points from Niall Kelly (free), substitutes Conor Staunton and Michael Ahern and Maloney's third of the night reduced the margin to two, but time was against them as the final whistle went and Simonstown held on for the win thanks to some superb netminding by 'keeper Gary Lynch who pulled off his third point blank save of the second half with one minute of normal time remaining. Simonstown - G Lynch; S Carr, H Traynor, N McMahon; E Donoghue, A Meade, R Brady; P Meade, S Kenny (0-1); E Kelly, S O'Neill, M McCabe; J Lunney (2-1), S O'Rourke (1-2), W McCarthy (0-3). Subs - N Kearney for McCabe, C McNulty for A Meade, S Moran for Kelly. Dunshaughlin: Ronan Gogan, Ronnie Yore, Ken McTigue, Fearghal Gogan, Denis Kealy, Michael McHale, Caoimhin King, Anthony Johnson, Cillian Finn, David Tonge (0-1), Niall Kelly (0-2, 1 free), Richie Kealy (0-1), Trevor Dowd (0-1), Raymond Maloney (0-3), Cathal O'Dwyer (0-4, 3 frees). Subs: David Crimmins for Finn, Michael Ahern (0-1) for Yore, Conor Staunton (0-1) for Tonge Tweet

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