Rathnew v Dunshaughlin Sunday, NewbridgeTomorrow's AIB Leinster semi-final replay will be the eighth meeting between these teams in three seasons. Five of their matches have ended in draws, like last week's entertaining set-to.

The role reversal has been interesting over the years. The only fixture that was won decisively was by Dunshaughlin two years ago and in the interim Rathnew have developed a style and reputation similar in some ways to that of the Meath team.

There is that sense that opponents are spooked by them and are never fully confident or comfortable going into the final stages with a small lead. Last week Dunshaughlin were almost waiting to be caught and the champions duly obliged.

It was very hard on Eamon Barry's battling side because like last year, they had fought to establish control only to see a sequence of setbacks snatch victory from them at the death.

For all Rathnew's self-image as a plucky little village, it is Dunshaughlin who are the battlers. In terms of talent they are well outgunned up front against a side boasting three match winners, Trevor Doyle, Tommy Gill and Ronan Coffey in attack.

Yet it was the Meath side, with arguably their best forward Richie Kealy playing in defence, who hauled themselves off the floor to overcome an initial five-point deficit, compounded just before half-time by a goal against the run of play.

So effective was their comeback they had taken what looked like a decisive grip on the match by sheer hard work and persistence.

Barry himself identified poor finishing as the biggest problem and the Meath champions certainly shot some bad wides in the first half but the facts were that in injury-time they had a couple of chances that hit the woodwork in quick succession, either of which could have wrapped up the match.

Referee John Bannon inexplicably played nearly two extra minutes on top of the three indicated as the duration of injury-time. Nothing that had happened in those three minutes appeared to justify the additional time.

Ironically Bannon had been scrupulous about stopping the clock when Rathnew were time-wasting in the early stages of the second half, but that was presumably part of the original three minutes.

Then at the very end of the match with the ball heading away from the Dunshaughlin goal corner back Ciaran Byrne didn't seem to realise he was relatively isolated and, assuming that a Rathnew forward was breathing down his neck, hacked the ball out over the sideline giving Trevor Doyle the opportunity to equalise.

The historical background to this match doesn't seem to have influenced the bookies too much and you can still get 13 to 2 on the draw, as opposed to 7 to 1 last week, but all the indications are it will go to the wire again.

Dunshaughlin went into last week's match feeling the effects of the long-term absences of Aidan Kealy and Graham Dowd but they coped. Similarly Rathnew have had to get by without the influential Darren Coffey.

The evidence suggests that whereas the challengers have the application to make a serious match of it and more they seem to lack the self-confidence to put Rathnew away.

An outcome like last week's is grist to the champions' mill, a further demonstration of their indestructibility.

But there are more tangible reasons for favouring them. Tommy Gill will hardly be so quiet again and although Rathnew may not get off to such a fast start, they probably won't fade out for so long either.