St Peters Dunboyne 3-19, Donaghmore/Ashbourne 2-20

Just 24 hours after Dunboyne’s second string saw off neighbours Ratoath in a rip-roaring JHC encounter, 6-16 to 3-21, the Intermediate side made it two wins on the bounce in the IHC with another hugely entertaining and lively encounter, edging past Donaghmore/Ashbourne by 3-19 to 2-20 in Ratoath.

From the throw-in, this game fizzed with intensity. Ashbourne opened the scoring with their first attack, but Conor Murphy responded shortly afterwards with a neat strike. Jack Cox then doubled Dunboyne's advantage after being found in space by Sean Cregan. Ashbourne levelled matters with a fine score from their corner forward before Murphy pounced on a loose ball around midfield in the third minute. He created space for himself and struck towards the posts. With Cregan and Sean Quigley causing havoc in the Ashbourne full-back line, Murphy's effort dropped under the crossbar and into the net.

Ashbourne pulled a point back almost immediately, before Quigley had a goal chance saved off the line. The Dunboyne full-forward was quickest to the breaking ball, however, and tapped over for his first point of the evening. Ashbourne responded with a strong spell, punishing some sloppy Dunboyne defending to fire over three points in succession. A short puck-out from Shane Nolan to James Lonergan, who in turn found Quigley, stopped the Ashbourne momentum.

The visitors persisted, though, and added another three points, including a free, to move 0-09 to 1-07 ahead midway through the half. Dunboyne responded emphatically. Cox, Quigley and Cregan all raised white flags in a blistering two-minute spell to put the Black and Ambers back in front. Just when it looked like Dunboyne were beginning to take control, Ashbourne struck for a goal of their own. A long ball into the square from a free caused confusion in the Dunboyne defence and a ground strike from close range found the net.

Quigley, who was proving a constant threat on the edge of the square, responded with three points, including two frees, to wrestle back the lead for Dunboyne in the 22nd minute. But Ashbourne simply refused to go away. They hit four scores in succession from play before Cregan responded in the 26th minute. Then came one of the moments of the match.

In the 27th minute, Murphy gathered possession around 50 yards out on the right wing and embarked on a powerful run, leaving two Ashbourne defenders in his wake. As he entered a crowded square, he showed remarkable composure, pivoting and flicking the ball over his head and into the back of the net. It was a wonderful individual goal and one that looked set to give Dunboyne the momentum heading into the interval. Quigley closed out the half with a placed ball to leave Dunboyne ahead at the break:

St Peters Dunboyne 2-12, Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-13.

The second half would test Dunboyne's strength in depth, with stalwarts Quigley and Niall Smyth unable to continue after picking up injuries towards the end of the first half. Jason Gleeson, unusually quiet by his high standards in the opening 30 minutes, came to life almost immediately. In the second minute he gathered possession, turned his man and unleashed a blistering strike into the net for Dunboyne's third goal. He followed that with a free in the sixth minute as Dunboyne threatened to pull clear.

Ashbourne responded with two points, including a free, but Murphy continued to torment the visitors, splitting the posts with two excellent long-range efforts. Gleeson then tapped a long ball down for himself, created the necessary space and fired over in the 15th minute to leave the scoreboard reading Dunboyne 3-16, Ashbourne 1-17

With Dunboyne seemingly in a position to see the game home, Ashbourne produced their best spell of the night. For the next 10 minutes, the team in Green seized the initiative, firing over 1-02, including two frees, to level the game once again in the 24th minute. For Dunboyne supporters, what followed was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the performance.

Rather than panic, the Black and Ambers wrestled control back. Ciaran Lonergan and Diarmuid Delaney had been immense throughout in the Dunboyne rearguard, but both were outstanding during those tense closing stages. With the game tied in the 26th minute, Eoghan McCormack found Conor Gilmartin in space and Gilmartin calmly chipped over a tidy score off his left side.

Three minutes later, recently introduced minor Rory Callanan produced a superb cross-field ball to Gleeson, who drilled over another important score to put Dunboyne two points clear.

Eric Lowndes then provided an excellent cross-field assist to McCormack, who added another score as the game moved into injury time. Ashbourne managed to pull one back with the final puck of the game, but it was Dunboyne who held their nerve to secure another valuable two points. In a pulsating five-goal encounter, the Black and Ambers had once again shown their ability to find a way to win.

With two victories now secured on the bounce, Dunboyne have moved one step closer to the knockout stages.

Final Score: St Peters Dunboyne 3-19, Donaghmore/Ashbourne 2-20.

Next up: Dunboyne face Athboy's Clann na nGael in Round 4 on Saturday, 29th August in Trim.

St Peters Dunboyne: Shane Nolan; Eoghan Pearl; Evan McCrudden; Ciaran Lonergan; James Lonergan; Diarmuid Delaney; Jamie McCormack; Jack Cox (0-02); Alan Watters; Eoghan McCormack (0-01); Jason Gleeson (1-03, 1f); Conor Murphy (2-03); Sean Cregan (0-02); Sean Quigley (0-07, 3f); Niall Smyth.

Subs: Shane McCormack (for Niall Smyth, 22 mins); Eric Lowndes (for Sean Quigley, 29 mins); Conor Gilmartin (0-01) (for Alan Watters, HT); Rory Callanan (for Jamie McCormack, 57 mins).

Report by Eamon Murphy

Tweet

Most Read Stories