Time for these clubs to either flip a coin or just amalgamate. It looks like the only way forward for us all. Twice in Navan yesterday, a clear resolution was within touching distance only for last-gasp scores to leave the sides staring across the chasm more balefully than ever. JP McManus had arrived and departed the Navan racecourse in the time these teams tried to negotiate a way past one another. The master might well have finished with the ponies before this tie is concluded.
Dunshaughlin will wonder now. For great chunks in this 100-minute instalment of an epic nobody ever asked for, they were in control. As befits their Meath champions status, their defence is founded on the twin fundamentals of truth and hard justice.
Of the abundance of Kealys on show, Aidan and Denis were resolute in the busy half-back line and Ken McTigue was a rock at full back. So comfortably did they soak up Rathnew's imagination for attacks, the goals that twice revived Rathnew had a shocking look about them.
Trailing 0-8 to 0-4 with 14 minutes left, the Wicklow champions were on the verge of disintegration when they somehow strung together their most impressive period of the match. Snap points from Barry Mernagh and Trevor Doyle, the Braveheart of the pack, revived them and with five minutes left, they made Dunshaughlin pay for their one defensive error.
Hunting in packs, the Dunshaughlin defence swarmed around Doyle only to disband in horror as he somehow fetched a high ball in traffic and played Tommy Gill through.
The corner forward, alive with purpose all afternoon, ghosted through and curled his shot wide of Ronan Gogan. Then Leighton Glynn burst upfield for a glorious score that ought to have finished it. But Meath doggedness ensured extra time, with Niall Kelly lobbing a point before Richie Kealy snatched an equaliser to leave it at 0-10 to 1-7.
Richie Kealy was a central force in the maudlin period of added time that followed. Two frees settled the Meath side as the encounter became sapped of energy and vision.
Dunshaughlin's John McDonald and Glynn of Rathnew were both sent off for the sort of untidy fouls that occur when two teams are caged for this long.
After the free flow and accurate passing of the first hour, the concluding period of extra time was consumed with less appetite by the supporters. Familiarity began to blur the bigger picture.
Always, the Meath team looked the steadier bet, particularly given their forward threat. Michael McHale is a natural ball-winner and Richie Kealy and David Crimmins are both accurate and prudent. Dunshaughlin fired just eight wides over the hour and a half; Rathnew hit six in added time alone. Thus, it was no surprise that Dunshaughlin were up 0-16 to 1-9 with two minutes left.
Then Groundhog Day struck again. Tommy Gill drove a short free low and Ronan Coffey got a fist to the ball. Goal. From the kick-out, the crowd - and the Dunshaughlin team - stood transfixed as Trevor Doyle cantered downfield, kicking a point which restored the strange order of parity between these sides.
It took three games to separate them last year and now, a third tie of this campaign beckons next weekend. Heads or tails?
DUNSHAUGHLIN: R Gogan; F Gogan (0-1), K McTigue, C Byrne; R York, A Kealy, D Kealy; G Dowd, D Kealy; N Kelly (0-2, 1 f), M McHale (0-2), M Reilly; R Kealy (0-5, 2 f), D Crimmins (0-3), T Dowd (0-1). Subs: D Tonge (0-1) for G Dowd (53 mins), S Kelly (0-1) for Byrne (57), B Kealy for Dowd (57).
RATHNEW: T Murphy; L Glynn, M Coffey, D Power; E Franey, T Doyle (0-3), B Mernagh (0-1); D Coffey, D Byrne; R Dignam, A Mernagh (0-1), S Byrne; T Gill (1-2, 1 f), R Coffey (1-3), M Doyle. Subs: A Clarke for Power (84 mins inj).
Referee: E Whelan (Laois).
Carlow's senior footballers defeated Meath for the first time when they triumphed on a 2-11 to 0-13 scoreline in the O'Byrne Cup at Dr Cullen Park on Saturday.
The Royal County were without the vast majority of their All-Ireland final side, but the sides went score for score until a fine Brian Kelly goal four minutes from the final whistle sealed victory.
SCORERS: Carlow - B Carberry 1-3, B Kelly 1-2, J Nevin, A Kelly 0-2 each, W Quinlan, J McGrath 0-1 each; Meath - R Magee 0-5, C McCarthy 0-2, D Curtis, D Sheridan, A Kenny, R Fitzsimons, M Doran, P Owens 0-1 each
