Craig Lowndes scored a crucial goal to help Dunboyne to victory over Summerhill.
Meath senior football championship quarter-finals
ST PETER'S, DUNBOYNE 1-15 SUMMERHILL 0-14
SKRYNE 3-12 ST COLMCILLES 2-8
By Paul Keane at Pairc Tailteann, Navan
Underdogs and playing with just 14 men for the entire second-half, Dunboyne still found a way to advance to the Meath SFC semi-finals, impressively dumping out holders Summerhill.
Level at 0-14 apiece in Navan, it was the Dunboyne side managed by former Meath attacker Ger Robinson, and with former Meath manager Andy McEntee as coach, that came good in a dramatic stoppage time finale.
Goalkeeper Liam Byrne, for the second time in the game, clipped a long range point in the 63rd minute to put 2021 finalists Dunboyne ahead.
It looked like being the winner but with time almost up Dunboyne then put the cherry on top of a strong performance with a palmed goal from Craig Lowndes after a brilliant break down the left.
The four-point win flattered Dunboyne slightly but, leading by 0-9 to 0-6 at half-time, they were the better side overall and had to recover from the loss of the influential Cathal Lacey to a red card just before half-time.
Lacey had scored two points for the 2018 champions but two separate high tackles on Summerhill's Adam McDonnell, in the 22nd and 30th minutes, both drew bookings and the dismissal.
The numbers were evened up for a period between the 47th and 57th minutes when McDonnell himself picked up a black card.
Former Meath attacker Donal Lenihan top scored for Dunboyne with eight points, the same tally that Summerhill full-forward and free-taker Eoghan Frayne struck.
The subsequent draw for the Meath SFC semi-finals has paired Dunboyne with Dunshaughlin. Wolfe Tones will take on Skryne.
Dunshaughlin, the intermediate champions just two seasons ago, beat Ratoath 4-9 to 0-15 yesterday evening, immediately after Wolfe Tones' 0-12 to 1-7 win over Simonstown Gaels.
In the third quarter-final of the weekend, ahead of the Dunboyne game at Pairc Tailteann today, Skryne overcame St Colmcilles by 3-12 to 2-8.
Meanwhile, the draw for the relegation play-off games in the senior championship has placed Ballinabrackey in opposition to Rathkenny while Seneschalstown will face Curraha.
Scorers for St Peter's, Dunboyne: Donal Lenihan 0-8 (0-6f), Craig Lowndes 1-0, Cathal Lacey 0-2, Liam Byrne 0-2 (0-2f), Michael Murphy 0-1, Ronan Jones 0-1, Sean Ryan 0-1.
Scorers for Summerhill: Eoghan Frayne 0-8 (0-6f), Barry Dardis 0-3 (0-1 45, 0-1f), Conor Frayne 0-2, Adam McDonnell 0-1.
ST PETER'S, DUNBOYNE: Liam Byrne; Jack Scannell, Sean Ryan, Seamus Lavin; Mark Furlong, Shane McEntee, Craig Lowndes; Jack Kinlough, Ronan Jones; Cathal Lacey, Stuart Lowndes, Diarmuid Delaney; Michael Murphy, Donal Lenihan, David McEntee.
Subs: Conor Doran for Delaney 46, Cian Smith for Stuart Lowndes 54, Cathal Finn for S McEntee 57, Luke Carolan for D McEntee 59.
SUMMERHILL: Sean Muddiman; Iarla Hughes, Ronan Ryan, John Lavelle; Adam McDonnell, Ross Ryan, Jack Bannon; Adam Flanagan, Micheal Byrne; David Larkin, Diarmuid McCabe, Kevin Ryan; Conor Frayne, Eoghan Frayne, Barry Dardis. Subs: Podge Geraghty for Byrne 44, Davy Dalton for K Ryan 50, William Ryan for Bannon 53.
Referee: Andrew Smith (Dunshaughlin).
