The 'Hill' return to summit in SFC decider

Summerhill survived a late Ratoath revival to clinch the 2025 Keegan Cup

Summerhill 0-3-10

Ratoath 0-1-11

With 13 minutes remaining in the showpiece of Meath GAA, the SFC final, Summerhill were nine points clear and looked in complete control of the contest at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday. Ratoath had performed below par for the majority and it looked like Summerhill were going to cruise to a second Keegan Cup title in three years.

When Gavin McGowan kicked a massive two-pointer in the 48th minute, momentum completely shifted. In the final 10 minutes, Ratoath outscored Summerhill 0-5 to 0-1 but that wasn't enough for the 2022 champions as David Clare’s side clung on for a deserved victory.

Summerhill’s prolific attack was somewhat out of shape on the day and they only scored one point from play in the second-half. It was the defensive unit that carried the ‘Hill’ to glory and the full-back line of Ben Moran, Ronan Ryan and Iarla Hughes were absolutely outstanding. Several times, Ratoath tried a clever ball into the danger zone, but more often than not, one of the three maestros in the full-back line came to the rescue for Summerhill and cleared the danger.

There was one contentious moment involving Hughes, where he appeared to make a foot block to deny Joey Wallace a goal. However, Keith Sheerin waved away Ratoath’s protests and signalled for a ‘45’. In the wider context, though, the clash was won and lost in the first half. After 18 minutes, Summerhill led by six points and they pretty much maintained that gap until the final 10 minutes. Ratoath’s valiant effort in the closing stages was too little too late for Paul Galvin’s side.

Ben McGowan had an early chance for a goal when he tried to fist to the net but Sean Muddiman pulled off a great save to deny the Ratoath midfielder. Bobby O’Brien opened the scoring in what was a tetchy opening 10 minutes. Summerhill’s first score, in the 12th minute, came from an error at the kick-out and Eoghan Frayne capitalised before he followed up with a well-struck two-point free.

A superb two-point score from Liam Shaw was sandwiched in between two nice points courtesy of Conor Frayne and Diarmuid McCabe as Summerhill opened up a gap of 0-7 to 0-1. Points from Bobby O’Brien and Bryan McMahon narrowed the gap back to four but the Hill responded with a well-hit two-pointer from Conor Frayne. Ratoath could have done with Jack Flynn slotting a two-point free just before the interval but Flynn’s effort just tailed to the left and wide. At half-time Summerhill led 0-10 to 0-4.

Substitutes, Cian Crawford and Eamon Wallace injected a bit of energy into Ratoath after the restart. Crawford got on the end of a well-worked move to narrow the gap back to five. Conor Rooney kept Ratoath alive when he pulled off a wonderful save with his left foot to stop Eoghan Frayne from raising a green flag.

Despite playing with the wind, Ratoath struggled to create chances in the third quarter. Between the 39th minute and the 47th minute, Summerhill rattled off four points on the spin, courtesy of three Eoghan Frayne frees and their solitary score from play in the second-half from Kevin Ryan.

A well-struck two-pointer from Gavin McGowan seemed to ignite a fire in Ratoath. Daithi McGowan followed up with a free before he broke through the defence and forced another great save from Muddiman. The ball came loose to Joey Wallace and the whole of Pairc Tailteann gasped as Hughes came to Summerhill’s rescue with an apparent foot block. A ’45’ was the result and Flynn slotted it over to reduce the gap back to five.

Moments later, Flynn superbly struck a two-point free and all of a sudden the nine-point lead that Summerhill held nine minutes previous had been reduced back to two. Summerhill did well to secure possession and with 20 seconds left on the clock, Eoghan Frayne pointed from a free, which left Ratoath with no option but to go in search of a goal.

A long ball into the danger zone after the hooter had sounded came to nothing. The ball was kicked out of play and the final whistle confirmed Summerhill as Meath SFC champions for 2025.

Summerhill - Sean Muddiman; Ben Moran, Ronan Ryan, Iarla Hughes; Jack Bannon, Ross Ryan, Jamie O’Shea; Adam McDonnell, Adam Flanagan; Diarmuid McCabe (0-1), Kevin Ryan (0-1), David Larkin; Conor Frayne (0-4, one two-point) Eoghan Frayne (0-8 six frees, one two-point free), Liam Shaw (0-2, one two-point). Subs - Padraig Geraghty for O’Shea 39m, John Keane for Bannon 43m, Conor Lyons for Shaw 44m, Barry Dardis for K Ryan 54m.

Ratoath - Conor Rooney; Callum Brady, Conor McGill, Sean Brazil; Gavin McGowan (0-2 one two-point), Ben Wyer, Liam Kelly; Jack Flynn (0-3 one 45’, one two-point free) Ben McGowan; Cian O’Brien, Glen O’Reilly, Daithi McGowan (0-3 two frees); Bryan McMahon (0-1), Cian Rogers, Bobby O’Brien (0-2). Subs - Eamon Wallace (0-1) for Brady, Cian Crawford (0-1) for Brazil both half-time, Joey Wallace for C O’Brien 43m, Ronan Byrne for B O’Brien 44m.

Keith Sheerin (Castletown).