Fraynes point the way as industrious Summerhill edge out Ratoath
Paul Keane reports from Pairc Tailteann
WHEN IT CAME to playing for Kerry, few worked harder than Paul Galvin.
So the former Footballer of the Year must have had a grudging admiration for how Summerhill went about dismantling his Ratoath team in the Meath SFC final.
Displaying a tireless work-rate and an appetite for destruction, Summerhill outfought and out-thought Ratoath to repeat their 2023 final win over the Brownstown side and claim a ninth title overall.
It was the two clubs’ fourth final meeting in seven seasons with the record now standing at two apiece.
Meath captain Eoghan Frayne led the scoring with 0-8 though it was a victory for the collective with a terrific defensive effort and all of Frayne’s scores coming from hard won frees.
Few tipped the Hill for success only weeks ago when they lost two of their three group games and somehow qualified for the quarter-finals thanks to a superior scoring difference.
They dug deep from there on, beating Trim and then holders Dunshaughlin after extra-time before grinding down Ratoath in the decider, pouncing on anything that resembled a breaking ball.
Boss David Clare, a Dunboyne man living in Summerhill for the last 20 years, is a close pal of Galvin too as both of them coached together last year with Kilmacud Crokes who reached the 2024 Dublin SFC final.
Summerhill led virtually from pillar to post here with the Fraynes, Eoghan and brother Conor, scoring 0-12 between them.
Ratoath had plenty of possession early on but couldn’t turn it into scores and when Summerhill finally got going, in the second quarter, they took off with three two-point scores pushing them 0-10 to 0-4 clear at half-time.
One passage of play in the 22nd minute summed up just how determined Summerhill’s effort was – both Ronan Ryan and the excellent Adam McDonnell putting their bodies on the line to execute morale boosting blocks on Ratoath players.
Galvin responded at half-time by taking off both of Ratoath’s corner-backs, reasoning that Conor Frayne and Liam Shaw were doing too much damage inside for Summerhill.
Two minutes after the restart, Shaw collected a long delivery and fed Eoghan Frayne for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper but Ratoath stopper Conor Rooney saved well.
Ratoath had their goal chances too, the best of which was Ben McGowan’s early on when he palmed straight at goalkeeper Sean Muddiman.
It wasn’t until the last quarter that Ratoath really got it going, lofting over two two-pointers from Gavin McGowan and Flynn.
Crucially, they were chasing the game at that stage as Summerhill had pulled 0-15 to 0-6 clear with 49 minutes on the clock.
It was too little too late for Ratoath who got the margin down to two points in the closing minutes before Eoghan Frayne converted a 60th minute free to leave three in it.
Summerhill scorers: Eoghan Frayne 0-8 (1 tpf, 6f), Conor Frayne 0-4 (tp), Liam Shaw 0-2 (tp), Diarmuid McCabe 0-1, Kevin Ryan 0-1.
Ratoath scorers: Daithi McGowan 0-3 (0-2f), Jack Flynn 0-3 (1 tpf, 1 45), Bobby O’Brien 0-2, Gavin McGowan 0-2 (tp), Bryan McMahon 0-1, Cian Crawford 0-1, Eamonn Wallace 0-1.
SUMMERHILL:1. Sean Muddiman
2. Ben Moran 3. Ronan Ryan
4. Iarla Hughes
5. Jack Bannon 6. Ross Ryan
7. Jamie O’Shea
8. Adam McDonnell 9. Adam Flanagan
10. Diarmuid McCabe 11. Kevin Ryan
12. David Larkin
13. Conor Frayne 14. Eoghan Frayne
15. Liam Shaw
SUBS
19. Padhraig Geraghty for O’Shea (40) 22. John Keane for Bannon (44) 20. Conor Lyons for Shaw (45)
30. Barry Dardis for Kevin Ryan (55)
RATOATH1. Conor Rooney
2. Callum Brady 3. Conor McGill
4. Sean Considine
5. Gavin McGowan 6. Ben Wyer
7. Liam Kelly
8. Jack Flynn 9. Ben McGowan
10. Cian O’Brien 11. Glen O’Reilly
12. Daithi McGowan
13. Bryan McMahon 23. Bobby O’Brien
14. Cian Rogers
SUBS
18. Cian Crawford for Considine (h/t) 21. Eamonn Wallace for Brady (h/t) 15. Joey Wallace for Cian O’Brien (43)
25. Ronan Byrne for Bobby O’Brien (45)
REF: Keith Sheerin (Castletown).
The 42
