Ratoath ground out a well deserved 8 point victory  over neighbours Dunshaughlin in this 3rd round senior championship game played in horrendously wet conditions in Ashbourne on Monday night. 

Terry McGinnis' charges got off to the better start with well taken scores by Darragh Kelly, Bobby O'Brien and Ciaran O'Fearraigh putting their side 3 points to 1 up after 15 minutes. After that it was pretty much score for score from frees as Eamonn Wallace proved accurate from placed balls  that were cancelled out by frees from Cathal O'Dwyer and Fergus Toolan from Dunshaughlin. Scores though proved hard to come by with the rain falling relentlessly.  Ratoath though were the happier of the 2 sides leading 0- 7 to 0-4 at the half time break.

After the interval O'Brien put his side further in front  before 2 further Toolan frees narrowed the gap to 2 points . Bobby though restored the three point lead in the 42nd minute before 2 decisive goals in the space of a minute effectively ended the game as contest. The first, an excellent run and finish from Wallace and the second a poacher's finish from substitute, Connell Ahearne after an initial shot from O'Brien that the Dunshaughlin defence failed to clear. Anthony Moyles's charges continued to battle but their forwards were well marshalled by a tight Ratoath defence , with the closest they came to a goal being a shot from Trevor Dowd that was cleared off the line by corner back Darragh McGill. All in all a satisfactory night's work from the Ratoath men who now march on to the quarter finals having maintained their 100% record in games so far.

Foireann Ráth Tó: Shane Duffy, Brian O'Connor, Conor McGill, Darragh McGill, Enda Cahill, Brian Power, Emmet Boyle ,Ben Mcgowan, Darragh Kelly (0-1), Conor Rooney, Bobby O'Brien (0-3), Ciaran O'Fearraigh (0-1), Eoghan McMahon (0-1) Eamonn Wallace (1-4), Tom Fadden Fir Ionad Connell Ahearne (1-0) for Fadden, Gareth Rooney for Kelly, Gavin Quigley for McMahon 

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