Summerhill 1-13
St Patrick's 1-4

A final round clash with Donaghmore/Ashbourne in two weeks time awaits 2011 Senior champions Summerhill after their nine point victory over St Patrick's on Saturday evening in wet conditions in Walterstown.

The winners in a fortnight will either advance directly to the quarter-finals or have to play a preliminary quarter-final against the team that finishes third in Group C. There is likely to be huge interest in the game with the outcome likely to see one of the senior heavyweights eliminated from the race for the Keegan Cup.

Adrian Kenny and Barry Dardis were Summerhill's joint top-scorers in Walterstown. Kenny got 0-4 from open play while Dardis managed to score 1-1 in the space of three minutes in the second half. The Summerhill defence conceded only 1-2 from play with St Pat's other two points coming from frees.

Eight players got on the score-sheet for Summerhill. Both Summerhill midfielders scored while Padhraig Geraghty at right half back got off the mark.

Strong starts to both halves helped Summerhill overcome the challenge of St Pat's. Declan McCabe's team were 0-3 to 0-0 ahead after just four minutes of action in the first half. Michéal Byrne and senior championship newcomer Kevin Ryan added a point each within four minutes of the second half starting.

St Pat's didn't open their scoring account until the 23rd minute. Summerhill were six points up at that stage with four players amongst the scoring including Geraghty and midfielder Conor Gillespie. Donal Landy's goal was St Pat's first score but despite Summerhill's overall dominance, the Stamullen missed two goal chances which could of made for a more even contest.

Landy accidently blocked the goal effort of fellow corner forward Neil Whearty in the 18th minute. A minute later Landy spurned another goal opportunity when he side footed wide of Tony McDonnell's goal after being played through by Daithi Whyte.

St Pat's half back Shane McGinty roamed forward unmarked to score his side's first point with four minutes remaining in the half. Adrian Kenny got his second point to conclude the half which gave Summerhill a three point interval lead, 0-7 to 1-1.

Gillespie was sent off by referee David Gough with 10 minutes gone in the second half for a second yellow card offence. St Pat's couldn't make enough use of the extra man for the final 20 minutes as they only added three more points against a resolute Summerhill defence.

St Pat's second half points came in a 10 minute period from Whearty (0-2 one free) and centre forward Niall Mooney (free). Mooney's converted free with 9 minutes to go left four between the team's, 0-11 to 1-4 in Summerhill's favour. Byrne pointed his second free before Summerhill finally beat Robert Cluskey in the Pat's goals.

Cluskey slipped taking a kick-out with the ball falling to Barry Dardis who caught and managed to lob the ball over Cluskey into the net from over 30 yards out. Dardis' goal gave Summerhill breathing space in the closing stages.

St Pat's came forward to narrow the margin but a superb block from Caolan Young stopped a potential comeback . A Summerhill counter attack ended with Dardis firing over the bar with three minutes left to leave nine points in it.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne won last year's group stage match against Summerhill, winning by 2-11 to 1-7 in Dunshaughlin. Summerhill have recovered to put behind a disastrous start to the Meath SFC losing by a single point to both Skryne and Rathkenny. This win coupled with the five point win over Oldcastle at the end of May leaves Summerhill on four points, the same amount of points as Ashbourne.

Summerhill: Tony McDonnell; Padraigh Jennings, Caolan Young, Willie Ryan; Padhraig Geraghty, Alan Lyons, Stephen Husband; Conor Gillespie (0-1), Michéal Byrne (0-2 2f); Damien Byrne, Brian Ennis (0-2 1f), Adrian Kenny (0-4); David Larkin (0-1), Paul Rispin, Barry Dardis (1-1). Subs: Kevin Ryan 0-1 for Damien Byrne (27), Stephen Kennedy for Paul Rispin (39). Tweet

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