Frayne train powers Summerhill to victory

Summerhill got their Keegan Cup bid back on track with a fantastic win over St Peter's at Pairc Tailteann.

Meath SFC

Summerhill 1-4-12 (23)

St Peter’s Dunboyne 1-1-10 (15)

Davy Rispin

Staring down the barrel, 2023 Keegan Cup champions, Summerhill injected new life into their current Meath SFC campaign whilst exercising some demons from last year in beating St Peter’s Dunboyne at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday evening.

St Peter’s defeated Summerhill at the quarter-final stage in 2024 and a repeat occurrence this time around would have put ‘The Hill on the brink of elimination in this year’s renewal. Despite it being a round two encounter, the intensity and general atmosphere matched that of a crunch knockout game, helped by the fact that both sides slumped to opening-round defeats.

Despite the concession of the opening score to Donal Lenihan from a free, it was Dave Clare’s charges who started the better hitting three scores against the wind inside 13 minutes with Adam McDonnell and the Frayne brothers Conor and Eoghan on target.

St Peter’s did manage two of the next three in quick succession thanks to efforts from Donal Lenihan and Jason Gleeson either side of a left-footed point from veteran David Larkin down the other end. A Frayne free and a magnificent point from McDonnell gave Summerhill a double-scores advantage, 0-6 to 0-3 after 20 minutes before the Dunboyne side found their groove.

After some uncharacteristic wides from Lenihan, the St Peter’s sharpshooter posted a two-point free which was immediately followed by a point from Michael Murphy to give Ger Robinson’s team a slender 0-7 to 0-6 lead after 24 minutes. Summerhill dominated the closing stages of the first period and a hat-trick of points from Conor Frayne, Diarmuid McCabe and the impressive Jack Bannon handed them a 0-9 to 0-7 buffer.

Tempers flared after referee Keith Sheerin’s whistle sounded at the break which carried on towards the dressing rooms. The result was a sole yellow card to St Peter’s Stuart Lowndes prior to the resumption. It did however, add some extra spice to an already simmering contest between these two great rivals.

Summerhill now wind-assisted in the second period registered three of the first four points. A single point from Jamie O’Shea and a two-pointer from Eoghan Frayne with a Murphy point sandwiched in-between had the 2023 winners four to the good.

Frayne’s two-pointer would prove to be Summerhill’s only score for some 21 minutes of the second half with a determined yet wasteful Dunboyne gradually eroding the lead. Efforts from David McEntee, Lenihan (free), Gleeson and substitute Robbie McCarthy in that same period had the sides on terms at 0-12 apiece with 8 minutes to go.

St Peter’s really ought to have been in front especially with Adam McDonnell in the sin bin for 10 minutes after a black card, but their profligacy came back to haunt them. Just as McDonnell was about to re-enter the fray, Cian Smith received the same faith as the Summerhill man and that was the decisive moment as Summerhill went into overdrive and hit 1-8 unanswered to swing the pendulum in their favour once and for all.

The scoring blitz included a goal, three pointers and two single points with Meath captain leading the charge with 1-4 added to his personal tally. Kevin Ryan and McCabe also weighed in with a two-pointer each. St Peter’s, who finished with 13 men thanks to a straight

After a red card for seven-time All-Ireland winner Eric Lowndes, St Peter’s did muster a late consolation goal from the excellent Murphy but Summerhill were too strong in the finish.

Summerhill - Sean Muddiman; Ben Moran, Ronan Ryan, Iarla Hughes; Jack Bannon (0-1), Ross Ryan, Jamie O’Shea (0-1); Adam McDonnell (0-2), Adam Flanagan; David Larkin (0-1), Diarmuid McCabe (0-3 one two-point), Kevin Ryan (0-2 one two-point); Conor Frayne (0-2), Eoghan Frayne (1-8 two frees, one two-pointer, one two-point free), Eamon McDonnell. Subs: John Lavelle for Flanagan 47m, Liam Shaw for E McDonnell 48m, Sean Dalton for Bannon 53m.

St Peter’s - James Dillon; Sean Ryan, Seamus Lavin, Jack Scannell; Craig Lowndes, Shane McEntee, Mark Furlong; Eric Lowndes, Jack Donnelly; Stuart, Luke Carolan, Michael Murphy (1-3 one two-point); Jason Gleeson (0-2), Donal Lenihan (0-5 two frees, one two-point free), David McEntee (0-1). Subs – Cian Smith for Scannell 17m, Cathal Melia for S Lowndes 38m, Robbie McCarthy (0-1) for S McEntee 51m.

Referee: Keith Sheerin (Castletown).