The danger of Rathnew sustaining a rare defeat in Aughrim seemed to have receded when Louth champions Newtown Blues were reduced to 14 players early in the second half of their Leinster club football championship clash.
But after losing their best-known intercounty player, Colin Kelly, five minutes after the restart, Newtown Blues were soon in the lead for the first time.
The Louth side were always in contention in a close-scoring encounter, but the Wicklow champions had the silken skills of Tommy Gill and he provided the lifeline with seven sparkling points in this absorbing quarter-final.
Kelly was given his marching orders by Westmeath referee Frank Fox for a second bookable offence and, within a couple of minutes the goal that promised to lead to a shock result arrived.
Late call-up David McDonnell hoisted a huge kick at the Rathnew posts. Substitute Paul Kelly rose above everyone in the crowded goal area to flick a good effort into the left corner of Tommy Murphy's goal.
The score brought the match to life and put the Louth side on level terms. Minutes later McDonnell received a deft pass from the adroit Thomas Carr and put the visitors in front for the first time.
Gill, who had already scored four points, came to the rescue with a brace of long-range points within a couple of minutes to quash the Newtown resurgence. Later, when the Louthmen got back to a single-point deficit, Gill belted over a huge point from the right wing.
The match proved a classic case of missed opportunities and Newtown Blues had their share. McDonnell was guilty of Newtown's worst wide at a crucial stage in the last quarter. He only had to round the advancing Murphy for a tap in but instead shot too early into the side netting.
Colin Kelly, before his dismissal, was given a clear chance but his poor attempt from close in skidded off the far post and wide. Ronan Coffey went closest to netting for Rathnew in the third quarter but had to be satisfied with a point when blasting the ball off the cross bar unchallenged.
The same player later teamed up brilliantly in a one-two with Declan Byrne, only for his searing shot to be blocked and cleared.
Darren Coffey and Declan Byrne were in control more often than their Newtown midfield opponents, Eoghan Judge and Keith Lynch, but there were many outstanding individual displays for the losers, not least by central defender Breen Phillips and attacker Thomas Carr.
Possibly the best defensive display of all was that of Rathnew corner back Leighton Glynn.
RATHNEW: T Murphy; L Glynn, M Coffey, D Power; E Franey, E White, B Mernagh; D Coffey, D Byrne (0-1); R Dignam (0-1), T Doyle (0-1), A Mernagh (0-1); T Gill (0-7, 0-3f), R Coffey (0-1), S Byrne (0-1). Subs: M Doyle for White (42 mins)
NEWTOWN BLUES: C Nally; S Delaghan, B Phillips, K Rooney; S Gerrard, D Martin, R Hughes; E Judge, K Lynch (0-1); T Carr (0-2), D McDonnell (0-1), P Stone (0-1); M Phillips, C Kelly (0-2, 0-1f) C Kierans. Subs: P Kelly (1-0) for Kierans (h-t), B McHale for D Martin (45 mins)
Referee P Fox (Westmeath)
