Stalemate inevitable outcome

Rathnew - 9 Dunshaughlin - 0-12:LEINSTER CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP: So you don't win again. For the fifth time in seven matches over three seasons these clubs couldn't be separated on the scoreboard.

For Dunshaughlin there was yet further heartache in this fixture, which is consolidating its reputation as the Leinster championship's answer to Cats.

Champions Rathnew also underlined their reputation for dodging the reaper to the extent that they make the average cat's life expectancy look tragic. Among Dunshaughlin's haunting memories of this series is the four-point lead lost in injury-time last year. If the pain of that had eased in any way, it was vividly refreshed yesterday as the champions took advantage of nearly five minutes' injury time to pull back a two-point deficit.

Piling on the agony was the passage of play at the beginning of that additional period when the Meath team pressed and wing back Fergal Gogan clipped a point attempt off the right-hand post. The rebound was won by Trevor Dowd in front of goal and he struck a stinging shot off the crossbar. A couple of centimetres higher or lower and the champions were gone.

Instead they pressed on and Tommy Gill calmly pointed a free - obviously informed by referee John Bannon that injury time was only in its infancy - and in the dying seconds Dunshaughlin corner back Ciaran Byrne, who had the time to pick up the ball, played it safe and cleared over the sideline 20 metres out. Trevor Doyle screwed over a fine shot to achieve the inevitable draw.

Experience appears to have made these teams fairly stoic about such outcomes. Dunshaughlin manager Eamonn Barry certainly paid a fairly polished tribute to his opponents. "Fair play to them. That's what they're made of. We had the chances and Niall Kelly had a couple of crackers but we didn't put them away. We got off to a slow start - we either get going early or we don't - and we are missing too many easy chances."

His Rathnew counterpart, Harry Murphy, is a man well practised in explaining the inexplicable. Did he think they were gone? "Every week we come out we're gone. The lads have done us proud again and Trevor responded brilliantly but credit to both sides for producing that football in those conditions. The rest of the forwards kicked in today. It was Tommy Gill last week but there are five other forwards."

The football was good value for around 3,500 spectators who braved a freezing but thankfully dry afternoon. As the match swayed from one side to the other, there was some excellent combination play and sharp finishing from Rathnew plus some robust, traditional stuff from Dunshaughlin.

By the end of the first quarter Rathnew led by five points to no score. Trevor Doyle dominated these opening exchanges, feeding off early centrefield dominance from James Stafford and Declan Byrne. In the first 10 minutes Doyle had registered three points and one wide.

There were also considerable frustrations from Dunshaughlin's point of view. Too often they gave the ball away after putting in some hard work to win possession. This cost scores at either end. Whereas this trend continued throughout the match, the supply of ball picked up in the second quarter and from then on the Meath side were on top.

A further failing was the number of wides kicked - Rathnew were more economical - and a tendency to over-dwell on the ball. But as Niall Kelly and Dermot Kealy turned it around at centrefield, Dunshaughlin's chances improved. Four points in eight minutes and the match was back in the balance.

From the 13th to the 37th minute Rathnew managed only one score but it was a goal. Anthony Mernagh threaded a ball into Mark Doyle and he slipped a shot past Ronan Gogan, which centre back Michael McHale could only follow into the net. Dunshauglin did complain that a pass from Tommy Gill earlier in the move had been played off the ground but the goal stood.

They managed to pull back two points before the interval to leave the match well balanced at 1-5 to 0-6. Rathnew nearly tilted that scoreline decisively when Trevor Doyle got straight through on goal within a minute or so of the restart only to send his shot wide.

But for the next 20 minutes Dunshaughlin outscored their opponents 0-5 to 0-1 to take a two-point lead. Niall Kelly's gargantuan kicks were causing Rathnew trouble, creating opportunities for David Crimmins and Martin Reilly in particular and landing two huge points himself. The first, from a sideline 50 metres out, put Dunshaughlin ahead and the second, a free 10 metres further out, to stretch the lead to two.

Under the cosh and two points down going into injury-time Rathnew looked in trouble. But we've heard that before.

Harry Murphy wasn't bothered at the prospect of another full December. "We'd go out and play in the morning," he said. "The lads will be looking forward to this and I'm sure Dunshaughlin are as well. But everyone will be sore tomorrow."

So it's back to Newbridge next Sunday when the kick-off will be 1.30, which allows for extra-time.

RATHNEW: T Murphy; L Glynn, E White, B Mernagh; E Franey, M Coffey, C Murphy; J Stafford, D Byrne; R Dignam (0-1), T Doyle (0-5, one free and one sideline), A Mernagh (capt); T Gill (0-2, one free), R Coffey, M Doyle (1-1). Subs: S Byrne for Franey (45 mins), N Mernagh for D Byrne (58 mins).

DUNSHAUGHLIN: R Gogan; C Byrne, K McTigue (capt), D Kealy; F Gogan, M McHale, R Kealy (0-1, a free); N Kelly (0-3, one free and one sideline), D Kealy; B Kealy, D Crimmins (0-1), D Tonge; T Dowd (0-3), R Maloney, M Reilly (0-3, two frees). Subs: D Burke (0-1) for B Kealy (48 mins).

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).