Rathkenny caused a major upset by beating County Champions Dunshaughlin in this Fairyhouse Steel, Meath Senior Football Championship Group C Round 1 game played in Pairc Tailteann.

Rathkenny 2-16 Dunshaughlin 2-13

Rathkenny opened the scoring with under a minute played with a point from the boot of Keith Curtis into the town end. Rathkenny had the aid of the breeze in the opening half. The champions went in front when awarded a penalty which was calmly dispatched by Ruairi Kinsella after a long delay for an injury. Rathkenny replied through a Luke Kealy point in the third minute. Rathkennys James O’Hare took a quick tap and go free on eight minutes, he passed to Keith Curtis who sent over the equalising point. Dunshaughlin went back in front a minute later through John McDonagh. Rathkenny edged back in front when Luke Kealy got the better of his marker and ran through on goal. He laid off to the onrushing Keith Curtis who palmed to the net with twelve minutes on the scoreboard clock. Ruairi Kinsella popped over a close in free to bring it back to the minimum on fourteen minutes. 

Things got better for Rathkenny when on twenty-one minutes Luke Kealy headed for goal and again crossed for Keith Curtis who got his boot to it to add his and Rathkennys second goal of the game. Matthew Costelloe sent over on twenty-two minutes to leave three between the sides. A minute later David Curtis sent over to put four between the sides. Rathkenny custodian Finn Moore then produced his second good save of the afternoon to keep out a goal bound effort. On twenty-six minutes Christy Meade popped over a point following clever work by Luke Kealy. Two minutes before the break Keith Curtis dispatched a two-pointer to put seven between the sides. As the hooter went for halftime Dunshaughlin kept possession before finding a scoring opportunity which was fisted over by Adam Kealy to leave it 2-07 to 1-04 at the break.

Four minutes after the break Keith Curtis added another two-pointer free. Dunshaughlin responded immediately when winning possession of the resulting kick out and Conor Gray blasted to the net to put five between the sides. Two minutes later Ruairi Kinsella added a point, and the gap was down to four. Within a minute Keith Curtis sent over from play for Rathkenny. Back came Dunshaughlin with a point from Conor Duke. The campions then added a two-pointer from play through Conor Gray, and the gap was down to two. Sixty seconds later the gap was down to the minimum as Ruairi Kinsella sent over. With forty-three minutes played Conor Duke levelled matters. Dunshaughlin went two points up when Charlie O’Connor split the posts from a free outside the two-point arc. Rathkenny put the minimum between the sides when substitute Max McKenna sent over from play with twelve minutes remaining, Dunshaughlin sent over the next point through the fist of Tadgh O Dushlaine with fifty minutes displayed on the scoreboard. David Curtis sent over a free for Rathkenny on fifty-one minutes to leave one between the sides once more. With four minutes to go, Keith Curtis sent over a two-pointer free from the 45-metre line and Rathkenny were in front again. A minute later Rathkenny got another free and that man Keith Curtis sent over another two-pointer to extend the lead to three. With some resolute defending by the Rathkenny rearguard they managed to keep Dunshaughlin at bay and with the last play of the game they brought the ball out of defence and kicked over the sideline seconds after the hooter went for an excellent victory.

Rathkenny – Finn Moore; Ciaran O’Hare, Adam Byrne, Sean O’Hare; Robbie Garry, Padraig McKeever, James O’Hare; Donal Keogan, David Curtis 0-2; Luke Kealy 0-1, Keith Curtis 2-11, Aaron Johnson, Jeaic Timmons, James Macken, Christy Meade 0-1.

Subs – Oisin Cummins-Fuller for Jeaic Timmons, Max McKenna 0-1 for Christy Meade, Daniel Gavagan for Adam Byrne, Corbin Jenkinson for James Macken. 

Dunshaughlin scorers – Ruairi Kinsella 1-3, Conor Gray 1-2, Conor Duke 0-2, Charlie O’Connor 0-2, Matthew Costelloe 0-1, John McDonagh 0-1, Adam Kealy 0-1, Tadgh O Dushlaine 0-1

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