Na Fianna 2-19 Ratoath 1-11

Ratoath will face Drumree in the quarter-final stage of the intermediate hurling championship after losing this last round group match to a strong Na Fianna outfit.

For much of the first half it looked like Ratoath had the measure of their opponents. Paddy Coady set the ball rolling as early as the first minute with a well taken point and by the 15th minute, Ratoath were leading 0-6 to 0-3. Two Podge O'Hanrahan frees and two scores from play represented a positive return from all the pressure Ratoath were putting on out the field and Sean O'Hanrahan too stuck over a quality point from the wing. That gap could have been more as a number of frees drifted wide and Gavin McGowan was denied a goal by a reaction save by the Na Fianna goalkeeper.

Paddy Dowd, Paul Kirwan and Neil O'Dowd led the defensive charge with Conor Ward shining in a hard-working half-back line.

Ciaran O'Hanrahan was taking the fight to Na Fianna around the middle with Conor McGill while Bobby O'Brien was industrious in the half-forward line.

It all meant Ratoath were still leading until the 26th minute when Barry Slevin fired over a 65 to level it and then the same player goaled just before half-time led to a run of scoring that saw Na Fianna suddenly take a 1-9 to 0-6 lead at the break.

They continued to pile on the pressure in the second half and a second goal six minutes from the end made sure of the result. Ratoath battled to the end, Darragh Kelly scrambling home a goal and the team seeing a late penalty claim denied, but it wasn't enough.

Ratoath: Gearoid Crowley; Paddy Dowd, Paul Kirwan, Neil O'Dowd; Conor Ward, Darragh Kelly, Ben McGowan; Conor McGill, Ciaran O'Hanrahan; Jack McGowan, Paddy Coady, Bobby O'Brien; Podge O'Hanrahan, Gavin
McGowan, Sean O'Hanrahan. Subs: Sean McCann for Paddy Dowd; Kevin Laffey for Jack McGowan; Ger Clarke for Ben McGowan; Ger Brennan for Paddy Coady; Sean Keogh for Bobby O'Brien.

Scorers: P O'Hanrahan 0-8 (4fs, 2 65s), D Kelly 1-0, P Coady 0-1, K Laffey 0-1, S O'Hanrahan 0-1

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