A fascinating Division 2B Final could be on the cards this Saturday evening in Pairc Tailteann between Kilmainham (1ST team) and Dunshaughlin (2nd team) with a 6:30pm throw-in. The game will be refereed by one of the top referees in Meath Keith Sheerin who is very accustomed to taking care of big games in Pairc Tailteann.

Both teams are already promoted to Division 2A and the Final will decide who will be crowned Division 2B Champions. This Dunshaughlin team will be hoping to go one better than last year when on their last visit to Pairc Tailteann they were narrowly beaten by Dunboyne in the Premier 1 Championship Final. In Kilmainham a trophy for the Men’s team would be considered well deserved considering the great season so far, but Dunshaughlin will be going out hoping they can cause an upset.

Form would suggest Kilmainham as they went right through the league undefeated including having a convincing six- point win away to Dunshaughlin in early April. Kilmainham had already qualified for the final before the last round of games, Dunshaughlin’s passage to the final wasn’t as straight forward and they only clinched 2nd place by one point score difference over Donaghmore/Ashbourne who they were tied with on points in the league table and who they drew with in a nail-biting last round of the league.  

Kilmainham have scored more than any other team and conceded less than any other team in the league (as the yanks would say, the best defence and the best offence). Kilmainham will be led by their top scorer and former Meath great Michael Newman who is on a great run of form, including scoring eight points against Dunshaughlin. However, Dunshaughlin found out in that earlier league game that Kilmainham are far from a one-man band as on the day Kilmainham had nine different scorers including scores from all of their six forwards.

For Dunshaughlin to have any hope of winning they will know they will have to curb the scoring threat of all of the Kilmainham forwards especially the full-forward line likely to be Dylan Morgan, Conor Gilgallen & Colm McGivern. Dual player Odhran O’ Riordan has been outstanding at corner back for Dunshaughlin this year and along with Cavan native Marc Leddy, Shane Gallogly and Aiden Fraher (who has played all seven league games) on the half back line have given the boys in the Black & Amber a solid looking rear guard. 

Dunshaughlin’s midfielder Sean O’ Neill and Kilmainham midfielder Larry Morgan both scored goals in the earlier game and the winning of the midfield battle could have a big bearing on the game.

Up front during the league best for Dunshaughlin have been served well by veteran Mark Devanney, Eric Casserly and another dual player Cathal McCormack, but even they will know they will have to improve on the eight scores their team got against Kilmainham and the six scores last day out against Donaghmore/Ashbourne if they are to collect silverware on Saturday. 

Dunshaughlin’s management team of Paul Sheehy, Kevin Kealy & Ronan Finnegan will be hoping that their team will avoid a reoccurrence of the two Black Cards handed out to Dunshaughlin the last time they played Kilmainham and which undoubtedly had a big bearing on the losing of the game.

Considering that a lot of the Dunshaughlin’s 2nd team games were played at the same time as the 1st team games, it was a great achievement for Dunshaughlin to gain promotion and reach the Division 2B final. Dunshaughlin’s 1st team play a crucial last round league game against Curraha 72 hours later and if they win, they will be promoted to Division 1A and also play in the Division 1B final.

On Saturday evening everyone’s focus in both Kilmainham & Dunshaughlin will be on Pairc Tailteann and hopefully the entertaining game that is anticipated will occur as both teams would very much welcome silverware at adult level and should go at it all guns blazing. We will know before it gets dark if the celebrations will be held in the North Meath village just outside Kells or in Dunshaughlin.

No matter who wins there could be a few sore heads around on Sunday at noon when both clubs are scheduled to play against each other (Kilmainham 2nd team V Dunshaughlin 4TH team) in a Premier 8 Championship game in Kilmainham.

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