Ratoath cruising along nicely under the radar

SFC clashes, Div 1 minor finals, Div 1 u-21 finals, u-16 finals, u-12 finals, even community games. For quite some time now, Ratoath and Donaghmore/Ashbourne have been back-boned by a generation of players that have been going to battle against each other at the highest level in Meath for so long, writes Tom Gannon.

They have grown up going to war against each other and there are still plenty of survivors in both squads from a very heated and memorable minor final in 2012.

The two haven't met in the SFC since 2022 and there are, of course, plenty of fresh faces in both sides, who are not even old enough to remember the fireworks at that aforementioned minor final, but this clash is more than just a SFC quarter-final contest.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne’s Conor Carton, Andy Tormey and Shane Melia, Ratoath’s Eamon Wallace, Bryan McMahon and Cian O’Brien, all those players have been great servants to their clubs but will we see them all go to battle again in a game of this magnitude? We better enjoy this one just in case.

Ratoath had a great run for a good few years and enjoyed more success than their quarter-final opponents. There is no doubt that they set the standard in Meath football at the start of the decade.

They had a poor campaign in 2024 but there are some positive signs this year. Many will argue that they had a weak group and that they looked out of shape against Seneschalstown, but the fact remains, they are yet to be beaten in the 2025 SFC.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne are a team filled with some of the brightest young talent in the county. Michael O’Sullivan, Evan Kelly and Zach Thornton may all one day play alongside each other for the Royals and there is no doubt about it, they are going to be key to Donaghmore/Ashbourne’s attack for many years to come.

It is quite hard to grade their overall group stage performance. They were soundly beaten by Wolfe Tones, who may just blow everyone away this year. They were a bit unlucky not to come away with a win against a Na Fianna side who were a couple of kicks of a ball away from winning all three of their games. The other way of looking at it is more simplistic.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne only have one win so far in the SFC and it was against a weak Simonstown side.

Ratoath are capable of more than what they've been showing and you have to imagine that they are going to step up their performance levels for the knock-out stages. They are slight favourites to get the better of this talented young Donaghmore/Ashbourne side at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday, 3.30pm.

Prediction - Ratoath.