Ratoath secured the Leinster intermediate football championship this afternoon on a 2-13 to 2-9 scoreline after fending off Athlone's second-half comeback in Mullingar.

The Meath champions were in imperious form during the first-half, running up a 10-point lead against their Westmeath counterparts, whom saved their best for the second-half.

With John Connellan to the fore for them, Athlone managed to cut the deficit to three and despite an injury-time goal from their talisman Ratoath held on to add intermediate honours to the junior provincial crown they earned back in 2004.

The Leinster IFC trophy has a special resonance for the Meath side as the Sean Eiffe cup honours the Ratoath clubman who died tragically in 2001.

Down at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny champions Bennettsbridge ensured that it wouldn't be a Royal County double as they came from four points down against Kiltale to capture the Leinster intermediate championship.

The winners had trailed by 0-9 to 0-5 at half-time and would have to wait until the 49th minute to gain control of this decider, with Brian Lannon's goal proving salient in ushering the Bridge towards a 1-14 to 0-13 win and a first provincial success in the grade.

Ratoath - S Duffy; D McGill, G McGowan, P Flaherty; B O'Connor, B Power, E Boyle; C O'Brien, K McCabe; G Rooney, B O'Brien (0-1), B McMahon (1-9, 0-5f); C Rooney (1-1), E Wallace (0-1), J Wallace (0-1). Subs: P Quinn for E Boyle, B Daly for G Rooney, D Kelly for P Flaherty, C Nugent for B McMahon.

Athlone - D Costello; E Maher, D Kelly, F Murray; D Lynam, N Mulligan, T Egan; J Stapleton (1-1), P Bannon; S Ward, J Marshment, J Egan; J Quinn (0-1), R Connellan (0-1), J Connellan (0-6, 3f). Subs: S Omukoro (1-0) for J Egan (BC), M Darling for D Lynam, M Greene for T Egan, J Fallon for J Marshment, D Reid for J Quinn.

Referee - B Tiernan.

**

Bennettsbridge - E Cleere; E Morrissey, J Moran, C Wafer; J Cleere (0-1), R Lennon, A Cleere; D Wafer, K Blanchfield; H O'Neill, N Cleere (0-9, 7f, 1'65), B Lannon (1-1); S Morrissey (0-1), L Blanchfield (0-2), M Shiel. Subs: P O'Neill for C Wafer, W Murphy for M Shiel, K Brennan for K Blanchfield.

Kiltale - S McGann; A Donnelly, D Donoghue, C Ennis; S Donoghue, R Ryan, E Ryan; A Forde, P Kelly (0-1); J Kelly, J Donoghue, J Regan (0-8, 6f, 1'65); P Durnin (0-2), R Ryan, K Ryan (0-2). Subs: M O'Sullivan for R Ryan, S Lenehan for J Donoghue.

Referee - B Redmond.

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