Rathkenny overturned a first half deficit to come away with both points in this Meath Cleaning Services Junior All County Football Championship Division 2 Group A Round 2 game played last Tuesday evening, August 19th.

Rathkenny 2-0-10 (16) St Peters Dunboyne 0-1-08 (10)

Rathkenny played against the wind in the first half, and it was from their fourth scoring attempt that half back Mark Byrne sent over the opening score in the seventh minute. Dunboyne registered their first point a minute later. Daniel Gavagan put the hosts back in front from a tenth minute free. With sixteen minutes played corner forward Cathal McKeever stretched the lead to two with a nice point from play. Ninety seconds later Rathkenny had a goal opportunity, but a goal bound shot from Joey Curtis was saved by the Dunboyne netminder. Dunboyne put one between the sides with a point on eighteen minutes. The visitors went in front with a lovely 2 pointer from play as the clock showed twenty minutes played. They also added the next point of the game, before Rathkenny responded with a point from Jack Gore. Five minutes before the break Dunboyne took a quick 45 and sent over to lead by two. It was left to Patrick Knowles to send over the hosts last point of the half from a free. Rathkenny 0-5 Dunboyne 0-6.

The visitors took less than a minute to extend the lead from a close in free. Rathkenny edged in front when they put together a lovely passing move which ended in the net from the boot of midfielder Joey Curtis. The hosts then hit a six-minute purple patch which won them the game. With the clock showing forty-four minutes, Patrick Knowles made it a two-point gap from a free on the left. The same player then sent over from play two minutes later. Joey Curtis attacked the defence and extended the lead on forty-nine minutes. From the resultant kick out Dunboyne lost possession and Jack Gore moved forward. He passed to Daniel Gavagan who had sprinted into space. The full forward was through one on one and calmly buried low past the goalkeeper. In the blink of an eye the hosts were leading by double scores. Fifty-two minutes had passed before the visitors added to their account, some twenty minutes after their previous score. With the clock showing sixty minutes, Rathkenny sent over their ninth point of the evening, coming from the boot of Cathal McKeever. There were four minutes of added time played which gave Dunboyne the opportunity to search for a goal. The Rathkenny rearguard held strong, and Dunboyne had to make do with two further points, on sixty-two and sixty-three minutes. Rathkenny finished the scoring from the boot of Joey Curtis, to make it two wins out of two.

Rathkenny – Cathal McCabe; Rioghan Timmons, Colm Kerrigan, Cal Kealy; Mark Byrne (0-1), Ross Gore, Daithi Downey; Joey Curtis (1-2), T J Farrelly; Andrew Bellew, Jack Gore (0-1), Niall Branigan; Patrick Knowles (0-3), Daniel Gavagan (1-1), Cathal McKeever (0-2).

Subs – Cillian McKenna for Joey Curtis (blood sub, 21), Joey Curtis for Cillian McKenna (H/T), Cillian McKenna for Cal Kealy (35), Aaron Keogh for Cillian McKenna (41), Thomas McGuinness for Ross Gore (47), James Galligan for Patrick Knowles (52), Donal Curtis for Niall Branigan (55), Derick Smith for T J Farrelly (60), T J Bellew for Cathal McKeever (64)

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