Ashbourne and Sutton contested the Best Cup final at Malahide on Saturday and for the Meath club it proved third time lucky when they emerged 41/2-11/2 winners.

Contesting their third final since 1994 Ashbourne were quickly off the mark when Jim Hayes and Niall Monahan beat Victor Gibbons and Dick Gregor and when Eamonn Stewart and Aidan Darcy beat Hubert Martin and Bob Fogarty expectations were high that Ashbourne could at last get their name on this coveted trophy.

And this they did in style with Frank O'Donnell and Robbie Robinson easy winners over Norman Felton and Brian Cole.

Of the four matches still on the course, Pat Rooney and Tony Dooley were dormie three against Stephen Lynott and Brian Deane and it was Dooley who raised the biggest cheer of the day when he holed from off the green for the winning birdie at the 16th.

Meanwhile, Tom Smyth and Pat Franley were two up on the 17th against Aubrey Wolfsen and Brian Byrnes.

Joe O'Connor and Peter Dockery were in a similar position against Kevin Thompson and Paul Kunkles while Tony Sheerin and Declan Gallagher were level on the 16th with Brian Fagan and Denis Murphy when the last three matches were called-in.