Meath SFC final: Summerhill 0-16 Ratoath 0-13
Paul Galvin couldn’t have envisaged it all turning out like this.
A year ago, the Kerry icon and David Clare conspired and collaborated as coaches in the Kilmacud Crokes backroom team that contested the Dublin SFC final.
Robbie Brennan’s management team broke up after that and former Footballer of the Year Galvin took over Ratoath in Meath while Clare, living in Summerhill, agreed to manage his local outfit.
One of them was always going to leave Navan empty-handed when they met in the Meath SFC final and it turned out to be Galvin, ironically suckered by a Summerhill side that display the same sort of indefatigable work-rate he once did himself as a tireless half-forward with Kerry.
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Meath captain Eoghan Frayne’s eight points were certainly important, as were the four that his sibling Conor contributed to help Summerhill repeat their 2023 final win over Ratoath.
But when supporters reflect on how the club collected a ninth county title, they will point to the awesome power of their collective.
Adam McDonnell and the returning Adam Flanagan, back after missing the semi-final due to the birth of his first child that day, were superb at midfield while captain Ronan Ryan pulled together a miserly defence.
One moment in the 22nd minute summed up just how Summerhill won this game; Ryan and then McDonnell both pulling off last ditch blocks to deny Ratoath a score.
Not that Clare took any great joy in leaving Galvin deflated at the final whistle following a Ratoath fightback that eventually came to nought.
“With Paul, as I keep saying, he’s a terrific coach and great on the skills, right hand to left hand, all of that stuff, and you could see how they were moving the ball, that’s his forte,” said Clare.
“He’s brilliant at that, absolutely brilliant at that. He’s a great lad, a really good lad. And look, he’ll take that (loss) to heart. He’ll really personalise that. But it’s just on the day, it’s fine margins.”
Summerhill, leading by 0-10 to 0-4 at half-time, stretched the gap to nine points early in the final quarter thanks in part to four Eoghan Frayne frees, two of which were won by McDonnell.
But a resurgent Ratoath got the gap down to two late on and rued sub Joey Wallace’s failure to hit the net in the 54th minute, defender Iarla Hughes getting back with a superb block.
SUMMERHILL: S Muddiman; B Moran, Ronan Ryan, I Hughes; J Bannon, Ross Ryan, J O’Shea; A McDonnell, A Flanagan; D McCabe (0-0-1), K Ryan (0-0-1), D Larkin; C Frayne (0-1-2), E Frayne (0-1-6; 1tpf, 6f), L Shaw (0-1-0).
Subs: P Geraghty for O’Shea (40 mins); J Keane for Bannon (44); C Lyons for Shaw (45); B Dardis for K Ryan (55).
RATOATH: C Rooney; C Brady, C McGill, S Brazil; G McGowan (0-1-0), B Wyer, L Kelly; J Flynn (0-1-1; 1tpf, 1′45), B McGowan; C O’Brien, G O’Reilly, D McGowan (0-0-3; 2f); B McMahon (0-0-1), B O’Brien (0-0-2), C Rogers.
Subs: C Crawford (0-0-1) for Brazil, E Wallace (0-0-1) for Brady (both h-t); J Wallace for C O’Brien (43 mins); R Byrne for B O’Brien (45).
Referee: K Sheerin (Castletown).
