Killer Costello goal gives Dunshaughlin victory and Summerhill a bloodied nose

Dunshaughlin, intermediate champions just two seasons ago, are through now to the quarter-finals and will be eyeing up a first title success since 2002.

LAST GASP: Dunshaughlin's Matthew Costello in action for Meath. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Meath senior football championship, Group A, Round 2: Dunshaughlin 2-12 Summerhill 2-10 

Right rollicking fare in Navan where, after a game that felt like it had been placed in a washing machine and put on a spin cycle for 60 minutes, Dunshaughlin emerged as the winners.

In doing so, the side with the impressive management team headed up by Richie Kealy, and with Paul Curran and David Gallagher in the backroom, left Meath SFC holders Summerhill with a bloodied nose.

It wasn't quite a fatal setback for Conor Gillespie's Summerhill because if they beat Donaghmore-Ashbourne on September 7, they will still finish second in Group A and reach the knockout stage.

But that's a big if at this stage while, for Dunshaughlin, intermediate champions just two seasons ago, they are through now to the quarter-finals and will be eyeing up a first title success since 2002.

Ultimately it came down to a terrific Mathew Costello goal in the 60th minute which turned a one-point Dunshaughlin deficit into a two-point win.

Charlie O'Connor did brilliantly to get a stretching foot to a 50-50 ball off a Dunshaughlin kick-out, tipping it to a team-mate, and a sweeping move upfield began which ended with Costello playing a one-two with Conor Duke and palming to the net.

But there was so much more to this thrilling encounter with Meath midfielder Conor Gray scoring an even better goal earlier in the half for Dunshaughlin while they also lost defender Fursey Blake to a second booking in the 39th minute.

Summerhill were in the throes of turning the screw at that stage anyway and scored four points between the 38th and 57th minutes to lead by one approaching the hour, 2-10 to 1-12.

They will reflect on two significant wasted opportunities in the final quarter when, on both occasions, they forced midfield turnovers on Dunshaughlin's Daryll McKenna but harvested precisely 0-0 from their breakaways.

It didn't help Summerhill that they lost substitute Jamie O'Shea to a 55th minute black card, giving further oxygen to Dunshaughlin's late attempt for a goal.

In the senior championship's group of death, it was a huge win for Dunshaughlin who will fancy their chances of finishing with full points by beating Ballinabrackey in Round 3.

It looked as if they might have blown it here because they hit the interval on level terms, 0-11 to 2-5, despite playing with the strong wind behind them.

Summerhill manager Conor Gillespie recalled former Meath player Barry Dardis and Diarmuid McCabe to his Summerhill attack having brought both on as subs in the Round 1 win over Ballinabrackey.

Dardis, who has featured in goals and in attack for Meath senior teams, repaid the show of faith with 1-1 in the first-half.

He curled over a beauty from a free beneath the main stand and into the wind in the ninth minute and rifled home a penalty approaching half-time.

But it was Conor Frayne that caused most damage in the Summerhill attack, sniping 1-3 in the first-half and winning the penalty that Dardis dispatched.

The suspicion was that the wind might be worth four or five points to Summerhill after the break.

They didn't take advantage of it, initially at least, and the 35th minute Gray goal after a terrific solo run left Dunshaughlin 1-11 to 2-6 clear.

When free-taker Luke Mitchell sniped his sixth point of the game for Dunshaughlin, they led 1-12 to 2-6 after 37 minutes.

Remarkably, they didn't score again until the Costello goal and finished with 14 players but, crucially, still found a way to win.

Dunshaughlin scorers: L Mitchell (0-6, 4 frees); M Costello (1-2); C Gray (1-0); C O'Connor, N Byrne, T Kinsella, C Duke (1 mark) (0-1 each).

Summerhill scorers: C Frayne (1-4); B Dardis (1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free, 0-1 45); E Frayne (0-3); K Ryan (0-1).

DUNSHAUGHLIN:: T O'Sullivan; Niall Byrne, D McKenna, F Blake; C McCarrick, J Rushe, A Kealy; C O'Connor, C Gray; D Fildes, C Duke, R Kinsella; T Kinsella, M Costello, L Mitchell.

Subs: Neil Byrne for T Kinsella 44, F Hartigan for McKenna 54, R Robinson for Mitchell 61.

SUMMERHILL: S Muddiman; A McDonnell, Ronan Ryan, I Hughes; Ross Ryan, J Lavelle, J Bannon; A Flanagan, D McCabe; M Byrne, E Frayne, K Ryan; C Frayne, S Dalton, B Dardis.

Subs: P Geraghty for Dalton 41, J O'Shea for Bannon 47, D Larkin for Byrne 57.

Ref: K Sheerin.