In the absence of floodlights, the strategic placing of two gardai - clad in psychedelic yellow waterproofs - at the entrance to the tunnel under the main stand at Pairc Tailteann in Navan yesterday was probably a wise move.

Not only did it prevent any hint of a repeat of the pushing and shoving and other shenanigans that occurred in that same area two weeks ago when Dunshaughlin and Rathnew were involved in their first meeting in the Leinster club football championship, but the yellow coats acted as a sort of beacon to the safety of the dressing-rooms for the two teams after enduring the sort of weather that only ducks are reputed to like.

Unquestionably, the Dunshaughlin dressing-room was a happier place. Despite finishing the match with only 14 men - admittedly one more than Rathnew managed - Dunshaughlin had finally put an end to one of the great sagas of recent club fare by successfully negotiating a route into the provincial quarter-final where they will meet Kildare's champions Moorefield next weekend.

This was the third time in two weeks that Dunshaughlin and Rathnew had come face-to-face in the competition and, while it would be stretching things to suggest that they're old friends at this stage, the Meath side contrived to produce the more effective team performance - and the better finishing - in the wind and rain to emerge with a 3-8 to 1-6 victory and they received the respect of their opponents by the end of the three-and-a-half-hour marathon over three weekends.

No one's finishing was as good as Dunshaughlin's centre half forward David Crimmins. He gave us two second-half moments that brightened up a grey, wet day with stunning finishes for two goals that effectively decided the match: Crimmins' first goal arrived in the 35th minute and his second, to kill off the game, was delivered in the 49th.

Ironically enough, as is often the way with Gaelic football, much of Rathnew's best play came when they were down a man. When Kevin Gill was dismissed for a second yellow card in the 19th minute, the Wicklow side trailed by a goal. By half-time, they were a point ahead. And, when Dunshaughlin's Niall Kelly was red-carded in the 42nd minute, they trailed by just two points.

However, Rathnew failed to score in the remaining 18 minutes of the match and, by the time Ken Doyle was also dismissed in the closing seconds of the game Dunshaughlin had stretched so far ahead as to make the win comparatively comfortable after such a long drawn-out process.