Our first team were out in their second fixture of the 2010 Championship. They were up against Kiltale in Ratoath. Our lads suffered an upset against Kiltale in the beginning of last years championship, which proved to be their undoing in their attempts to progress to the knockout stages of the competition. So between that, and the fact that a win in Ratoath would guarantee them a semi-final place, there was no shortage of motivating factors for the lads.

It was Kiltale who started the stronger of the sides. Their corner forward got in early for an easy goal in the first few minutes of the half. Then not too long after, the sliotar came in over the heads of both full back and full forward, and a hopeful swipe from Kiltales full forward found it's way right into the corner of the goal. These mistakes meant that we had it all to do. There were good scores taken from the forwards in an attempt to pull our way back into the game. As half time came, some solace could be taken from the fact that the Kiltale were only up by three points, after the majority of our lads not having hurled to any standard at all. The team knew that if our defence tightened up and cut out the mistakes, there would be enough opportunities for our forwards to take the game back from Kiltale. Half time score; Don/Ash 0-6 Kiltale 2-3.

Fortunately, this is what happenned. Our defence held strong against any attempts from the Kiltale attackers, both the half backs and midfield held the position fantastically, and there were some lovely scores taken from our forwards to take the game.

Full time score; Don/Ash 1-13 Kiltale 2-7

Team list; Colm Doherty, Fiach Ó Loingsigh, John O Riordan, Éanna Butler, Adrian McManus, Brendan Murphy, Fionán Ó Maolmhichíl, Colin Garry, Steven Meagher, Aonghus Ó Maolmhichíl, Davy Carey, Enda O Callaghan, Colm Ó Méalóid, Graham Byrne, Seán Markham. Subs; Seán Fox for Markham, Brian Fitzgerald for Ó Méalóid.

Our second team were out the following evening against Drumree, again in Ratoath. Our lads were out to make up for their first round loss to Trim, in order to get back on track to defend their title. With both Murphy and Fitzgerald being used the day before for the first team, the players had to up their game to make up for the loss.

Drumree started somewhat stronger in the first few mintes of the game, getting a couple of unanswered scores. Then Ian Dowd burst a ball over the bar from the fifty to open up the Ashbourne scoring. Not long after, Seán Robinson got out in front to a ball into the full forward line and turned his man and slotted the ball over the bar. Then, Colin Randall was fed a ball up the line from the defence and he duly pointed. Another huge clearance from the centre of the field dropped into the Drumree keeper, who miscontrolled and Robinson was in like a shot to tap it past for a goal. Just before half time, Seán Benville pointed a free, which put Ash up 1-4 to 1-2 at half time.

The second half continued as the first ended. Ash won the clash and sent a sliotar into the forwards. Seán Robinson picked it up on the half forward line, and just as Niall Mac did the week before in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, ran along the sideline to the corner to make the inevitable score look all the more impressive. Then Dowd caught the subsequent puc out and drove it back over the bar. It was at this point that Ashbournes dominance in the centre of the field became apparent. The half back line did not only hold strong, but when they were in possesion they played smartly for each other and either sprayed good ball to the sides or drove the sliotar right into the goalmouth, which payed off with two goals and a penalty. The two lads at centre field and the half forward line continued with this display of dominance in the centre. As for the full back line, when they were called upon, they controlled the incoming ball and played good ball to the half forwards, who were able to collect the ball and run through and split the Drumree defence.

The game ended with a pointed 65 by Padraic Durkan.

Final score Don/Ash 3-10 Drumree 1-4