Kevin Fenton's stoppage time goal snatched a minimum margin win for Donaghmore-Ashbourne over Na Fianna at Pairc Tailteann on Friday evening.and with it a quarter-final spot.

Don-Ashbourne ...... 1-7
Na Fianna..............  0-9

Second best throughout most of the second half, Donaghmore-Ashbourne always had Na Fianna in their sights as the hour wore on.

When Na Fianna moved two points clear on as many occasions in the final quarter, a last eight place seemed to for the taking.

The board read 0-8 to 0-6 to the south county side with 58 minutes gone. Two Donaghmore-Ashbourne subs made significant scoring contributions. Zach Thornton landed a free for the Moors.

Then in the second minute of added time Michael O'Sullivan placed fellow replacement Kevin Fenton for what proved to be the match-snatching goal.

In the diminishing light, Na Fianna sub Sean Hurley pointed a close range free, maybe in the hope that there would be sufficient time to work another score.

While Na Fianna absorbed the reality that their chance to repeat last year's semi-final achievement, was gone Donaghmore-Ashbourne were in limbo as the numbers were crunched. It was almost dark when their quarter-final place was confirmed. 

Na Fianna made the first impression with midfielder Ethan Devine lofting over from distance in the second minute. Four minutes later Dylan Brady levelled the scores. An Andrew Tormey free put the east Meath side ahead for the first time.

A Jamie Queeney effort fron play left it all-square with 13 minutes on the clock. Donaghmore-Ashbourne moved two clear by the 19th minute thanks to Darragh O'Sullivan and goalkeeper Andy Colgan (a 50-metre free into the town goal). That proved to be the last score of the half for the men in green and white.

Both sides were wasteful in the opening half with Donaghmore-Ashbourne registering ffive wides with Na Fianna hitting one less. The team representing Enfield-Baconstown and Rathmolyon finished with a brace of points, one each side of the 30-minute mark.

Conor Downey and Queeney (free)  ensured the sides were level at half-time, 0-4-each. From the resumption Na Fianna took control, but were unable to put the required distance between themselves and the team from the county's second largest town.

In the end Donaghmore-Ashbourne totalled 10 wides, twice as many as Na Fianna. The eventual winners were unfortunate not to goal in the 36th when James Redmond's chip rebounded off the inside of a post.

Early in the third quarter midfielder Owen McDonnell restored Na Fianna's lead. They maintained their advantage until Fenton's intervention.

Scorers: Donaghmore-Ashbourne - Kevin Fenton 1-1; Andrew Tormey 0-1 (f); Darragh O'Sullivan 0-1; Leo Reilly 0-1; Dylan Brady 0-1; Andy Colgan 0-1 (f); Zach Thornton 0-1 (f);

Na Fianna - Jamie Queeney 0-2 (1f); Sean Hurley 0-2 (1f, 1 45); Owen McDonnell 0-1; Conor Downey 0-1; Sean Martin 0-1; Cormac Rafferty 0-1;Ethan Devine 0-1.

Donaghmore-Ashbourne - Andrew Colgan; James Redmond, Shane Melia, Jamie Browne; Thomas McGovern, Sean Curran, Conor Carton; Kevin Cully, Bryan Menton (c); Leo Reilly, Darragh McGovern, Michael Deegan; Darragh O'Sullivan, Andrew Tormey, Dylan Brady. Subs - Michael O'Sullivan for Browne (39), Cillian Hegarty for Redmond (44), James Crumlish for Deegan (46), Kevin Fenton for T McGovern (51), Zach Thornton for D O'Sullivan (57).

Na Fianna - Shane Geraghty; Oran Smullen, Sean Rafferty, Johnny Baldwin; Mick Farley (c), Sean Martin, James Geagan; Owen McDonnell, Ethan Devine; Luke Kelly, Conor Downey,Jack McNally; Sean McDonnell, Jamie Queeney,  Ronan Byrne. Subs - Cormac Rafferty for Devine (42), Sean Hurley for McNally (56), Oisin Bright for Kelly (60 + 3).

Referee - Joseph Curran (St Michael's)

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