Rathkenny trailed by five points at the break but lead by one at the finish to take home the points from this Meath Farm Machinery, Group B, opening round SFC game played in Pairc Tailteann last Saturday evening, April 16th.

Rathkenny 2-09
Donaghmore/Ashbourne 2-08

The omens did not look good for last year's surprise packets when Rathkenny trailed Donaghmore/Ashbourne by 1-06 to 0-01 after only fifteen minutes. But outscoring their opponents by 2-08 to 1-02 for the remaining 45 minutes showed their never say die attitude. The Dublin border outfit were coasting to an easy victory at the quarter hour mark with two frees in the opening two minutes seeing them off to the best possible start. Rathkenny replied with an opening score from John Donegan after five minutes. Three unanswered points from Donaghmore/Ashbourne saw them take a 0-05 to 0-1 lead, before the contest seemed over when a well worked move ended with the ball in the Rathkenny net on 14 minutes. This was quickly followed by another point to leave eight points between the teams on 15 minutes. Darren Barron got his opening score from a free three minutes later before Brain Meade closed the gap two minutes later. There was a seven minute gap before the next score which came from the men in green. Rathkenny closed out the half with two important quick scores from Barron and Donegan to leave it double scores, 1-07 to 0-05 at the break.

Rathkenny needed a good start to the second half and they got it when Barron scored his third and fourth points of the game in the opening two minutes of the half to reduce the gap to three. Veteran Donal Curtis could have scored a goal, moments later, when a slip from the Donaghmore/Ashbourne net-minder gave him a chance but he saw his effort come off the post. However he made amends within two minutes when, after a similar incident, he dispatched the ball to the net to tie the game. Rathkenny had their tails up at this stage and although Donaghmore/Ashbourne edged back in front, Stephen McCabe popped over a lovely point on eighteen minutes to draw the teams level once more. Second half substitute Martin Donnelly's attempted free with nine minutes remaining ended up in the back of the net as once again the Donaghmore/Ashbourne goalkeeper dropped the ball. Rathkenny lead by three, but it was short lived as from their next attack, Donaghmore/Ashbourne were allowed run through the Rathkenny defence to drill home the equaliser with eight minutes remaining. Rathkenny defended well for the remainder of the game and Darren Barron scored the winner with two minutes left after great work from Brian Meade and Owen Elliott created the chance. Rathkenny will be disappointed with the number of wides they kicked as they await old foes Seneschalstown in the next round.

Rathkenny - J. Martin; D. McBride, T. McKeever, M. Macken; R. Gore, J. Macken, D. Keogan; S, McCabe (0-1), B. Meade (0-1); O. Elliott, T. Martin, I. Lenehan; D. Curtis (1-0), J. Donegan (0-2), D. Barron (0-5) - Subs: M. Donnelly (1-0) for Lenehan, C. McCabe for McBride. Tweet

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