Neighbours can't be separated following Junior thriller

Curraha ...........................2-2-8 (18)

St Vincent's .....................1-4-7 (18)

Even in a game of football it is hard to separate neighbours St Vincent's and Curraha as they served up a JFC thriller in Ashbourne on Sunday.

Joined at the hip at underage level both sets of players know each other inside out and that proved crucial in their entertaining contest as they cancelled each other out to settle for a share of the two points on offer.

Without the services of Neil Shortall and county man Jack O'Connor Curraha will probably be more relieved to pick up the point, while St Vincent's might reflect on this as being one that got away.

St Vincent's led by three points in the 52nd minute, but a wonderfully worked goal, expertly finished by James McEntee, drew Curraha level.

However, Curraha didn't even have time to celebrate getting back on terms as Michael McIvor nailed his second two-pointer to edge St Vincent's ahead again.

The Ardcath men looked set to hold on even after Diarmuid Moriarty, who wore nine despite being listed as wearing 10, converted a free to close the gap to 2-11 to 1-15.

Curraha desperately sought an equaliser and almost found a winner just on the hour mark when Podge O'Hanrahan's pass across the face of the goals was just missed by Brian Joyce at the back post.

That looked to be Curraha's chance gone, but they never gave up and it was Meath hurler O'Hanrahan who kept them going with one of his trademark runs at the heart of the St Vincent's drawing a foul and Moriarty converted the equalising free.

Mylo Hussey was denied a late chance of being a Curraha hero as his shot was blocked and in the final play of the game Adam Tuite had to lash at a low percentage shot and fired wide for St Vincent's as time ran out.

It was a frantic, fast-paced end-to-end finish that epitomised the whole contest.

It started at 100 miles an hour with a poor kickout by Luke McCarthy gifting Matthew Griffin a goal chance, but McCarthy redeemed himself by making a fine stop before the ball broke to Paddy McGill who opened the scoring.

Curraha's response was emphatic as McEntee drove through midfield and laid off a quick pass to Niall McLarnon who finished brilliantly to the net.

The huge crowd hardly had time to draw breath before the ball was in the net again, this time down the other end as a short point attempt was punched up into the air by 'keeper McCarthy and as it came back down McIvor climbed highest to fist to the net.

McEntee and Andrew Coyle sandwiched a free from McGill to ensure parity after 13 minutes, 1-2 each, but then a two-point free from Moriarty was followed by a brilliant two-pointer from play from the Meath panellist as Curraha moved 1-6 to 1-2 clear.

St Vincent's goalkeeper Evan Connor converted a '45' to close the gap and he continued to show his brilliance from long range as he landed two two-point frees from the edge of the arc in response to points from Coyle and McEntee to close the gap to 1-7 to 1-8 at half-time.

That one-point deficit turned into a one-point lead within three minutes of the resumption as McGill and McIvor both landed frees.

Moriarty did likewise in the 36th minute to restore parity for the fourth time.

A magnificent catch from a kickout earned McIvor a free and he took a quick solo and go before launching a brilliant two-pointer to push St Vincent's 1-11 to 1-9 clear, but they missed further chances to pull further ahead as McIvor and Connor were off target from two-point free attempts.

McIvor did stretch the lead to three, but then St Vincent's lived on the edge as Andrew Coyle forced Connor into a great save before Adam Andrews made a clearance off the line to deny Ruairi O'Sullivan and then he got up to make a spectacular block.

Referee Andrew Smith spotted a foul in all the drama and Moriarty converted the free to make it 1-10 to 1-12 at the end of the third quarter.

That was far from the end of the drama.

Another McGill free stretched St Vincent's lead to three, but then McEntee's goal restored parity for the fifth time and sparked a thrilling conclusion that ended with the fairest result possible.

Curraha: Luke McCarthy; Oisin Fay, Conor O'Farrell, Seamus Hogan; Sean O'Hanrahan, James McEntee (1-2), Padraic O'Hanrahan; Niall McLarnon (1-0), Diarmuid Moriarty (0-8 four frees, one two-point free, one two-pointer); Sean Ronan, Brian Joyce, Ronan Flynn; Ruairi O'Sullivan, Andrew Coyle (0-2), Ciaran O'Hanrahan. Subs - Mylo Hussey for Flynn 52m, Conor Joyce for Coyle 46m, Eoghan Burke for Ronan 60m.

St Vincent's - Evan Connor (0-5 two two-point frees, one '45'); Adam Andrews, Davy Tallon, Mark Crawley; Robert Tallon, Shane Caffrey, Nigel Hand; Conor Harford, Michael McIvor (1-6 one free, two two-pointers); Richard O'Sullivan, Adam Tuite, Matthew Tuite; Shane Andrews, Matthew Griffin, Paddy McGill (0-4 three frees). Subs - Conor O'Brien for O'Sullivan half-time, Gary Tuite for Griffin 36m, O'Sullivan for M Tuite 56m.

Referee: Andrew Smith (Dunshaughlin).