The three-match marathon was finally resolved, deservedly in Rathnew's favour, in Aughrim yesterday but the extent of the disparity between the teams during the last 10 minutes of the 210-minute saga will remain a mystery.
To say Rathnew finished on a high note would be an understatement. They worked to a crescendo, producing match-winning scores that left Dunshaughlin devastated.
Rathnew scored more in those closing minutes than they had managed in the previous 50 minutes. It could have been even worse for the Meath men as Tommy Gill had an obvious claim for a late penalty ignored by the referee.
The elated Wicklow men, who played well above even their own expectations during that finish, stayed out on the pitch celebrating with supporters long after the final whistle.
Top-scorer Tommy Gill who partnered his brother Kevin, an astute late call-up, was the dynamo in attack. He scored 1-4 and said afterwards: "It was one tough game. We defended well and then hit them with those winning scores. They got their chances but we were patient and thankfully put them away."
Dunshaughlin team manager Eamonn Barry was not prepared to gloss over the facts: "In the end they showed us how it's done. We overwhelmed them in the third quarter but the name of the game is putting scores on the board. We let it slip."
Both Barry and his Rathnew counterpart Harry Murphy planned strategy on the evidence of the two previous meetings and many players were switched about.
Dunshaughlin scored their last point, by David Crimmins, for a two-point advantage in the 18th minute of the second half but then had to endure a revitalised Rathnew. Fittingly it was Tommy Gill who ignited the comeback with a pointed free and within a minute he had the sides level with another point.
Rathnew were well into their stride at this stage and Ronan Gogan, in the Dunshaughlin goal, somehow kept a cracking shot by Mark Doyle out of his net.
Darren Coffey, Kevin Gill and Doyle combined to set up Richard Dignam for the point chance and the lead for Rathnew with five minutes remaining. Three minutes later Tony Mernagh got the touch inside the right post for the winners' second goal.
Doyle was on hand to send over a quick point and Gill had a penalty claim turned down but he still had the final say with a pointed free.
This great last-ditch onslaught however, was in complete contrast to the third quarter when sustained pressure exerted by Dunshaughlin failed to reap rewards.
Their worst piece of luck during this spell came when Michael McHale set up Crimmins for a goal chance but the effort was somehow saved by the alert Tommy Murphy. Loose marking in the Rathnew defence around this time looked ominous for the home side but the roller-coaster finish atoned for these lapses.
Rathnew faced sun and wind in the first half but were still on level terms nearing half-time when Kevin Gill made a good interception in midfield to start the move which led to his brother Tommy palming a Mark Doyle cross into an empty net.
The score gave the home side a 1-3 to 0-4 half-time advantage and Ronan Coffey stretched their lead by taking an early second-half point minutes before Trevor Dowd levelled again with a fine Dunshaughlin goal.
Rathnew face Edenderry in the semi-finals.
RATHNEW: T Murphy; B Mernagh, M Foley, D Power; E Freaney, T Doyle, S Byrne; D Coffey (0-1), D Byrne; R Dignam (0-1), T Gill (1-4, two frees), A Mernagh (1-0); M Doyle (0-2), R Coffey (0-1), K Gill.
DUNSHAUGHLIN: R Gogan; A Kealy, K McTigue, F Gogan; R Yore, C Byrne, D Kealy; D Kealy, G Dowd; D Crimmins (0-1), R Kealy (0-1), N Kelly (0-1); M Reilly (0-1), M McHale (0-2), T Dowd (1-0). Subs: B Kealy for T Dowd 50 mins; D Tonge for Kelly 60 mins; S Claire for M Reilly 60 mins.
Referee: J Bannon (Longford).
