Premier 1 Championship        Dunshaughlin 1-8   Donaghmore/Ashbourne  1-8
Two evenly matched teams played out an entertaining game and in the end they shared the spoils. A draw did not look the likely outcome early in the 2^nd half when Dunshaughlin trailed by six points. Ashbourne played with the assistance of the wind in the first half and scored 1-2 to no reply in the first quarter, their goal coming from a long delivery into the corner forward.

Cathal McCormack got Dunshaughlin up and running scoring two points from frees, reducing the Donaghmore/Ashbourne lead to a goal with 20 minutes gone. The visitors scored two points from frees themselves before the half time break leaving Donaghmore/Ashbourne with a five-point lead 1-4 to 0-2 at the break. The visitors could have been further ahead only for some great defending by the Dunshaughlin backs, with Eoin O’ Connor excelling and also taking a black card for the team in the 26^th minute after the ball was turned over further out the field.

The visitors went further ahead with a point from play in the 1^st minute of the second half to give them their biggest cushion of the game, a six- point lead. With the wind behind them Dunshaughlin started to eat into the visitor’s lead, helped greatly by their top scorer McCormack who got three points from play in the 32^nd, 35^th & 41^st minute and then showing all the great skills he possesses shooting a rasping goal in the 42^nd minute. It was game on as it left it only one point separating the teams. The tide was turning and Cavan native Marc Leddy was leading the charge winning turnovers and setting up raids on the Donaghmore/Ashbourne goals. Corner back Odhran O’ Riordan was coming forward with pace time and time again penetrating the visitor’s defence. Midfielder Colm Keane levelled the game in the 44^th minute to the delight of the home supporters. The home team had a few chances to go ahead but the attacks broke down and it was Donaghmore/Ashbourne who steadied themselves scoring two points in the 46^th and 50^th minute to go back two in front. Dunshaughlin didn’t panic and McCormack converted a free to leave the bare minimum in it with eight minutes to go. It was tense going down the final stretch and luck shone on Dunshaughlin as the visitors had a ball come off the post. From the rebound the boys in the Black and Amber hoops worked the ball up the field and won a free close to the Donaghmore/Ashbourne forty-five-meter line which was taken by goalkeeper Mark Galvin, it dropped to super-sub, Josh Wall who somehow managed to swing his boot at it and get what turned out to be the last score of the game with five minutes to go. Both teams were very careful and didn’t want to turn the ball over but the visitors did manage one final shot on goal before the fulltime whistle which to the relief of the home supporters went wide. One positive Dunshaughlin can take from the game is that they only conceded two points during the 10-minute spell either side of half time when they were reduced to 14 men as a result of a Black Card. A draw was a fair result, Dunshaughlin travel the short distance to play Skryne in Round 2 on Sunday August 7^th at 11am.

Scorers: Dunshaughlin – Cathal McCormack 1-6, Colm Keane 0-1 & Josh Wall 0-1

Dunshaughlin – Mark Galvin, Odhran O’ Riordan, Eoin O’ Connor, Aidan Fraher, David Fildes, James Traynor, Paul Briody,  Marc Leddy, Colm Keane, Bill Jennings, Sean O’ Neill, Daragh Byrne, Mark Devaney, Cathal McCormack, Wes Goodwin. Subs: Adam Hanley for Goodwin (halftime), Josh Wall for Jennings (44^th), Conor Mooney for O’ Neill (48^th).