In a highly contested encounter at Balreask Old, Navan Men's 1st XV hosted second-placed Cashel in Round Twelve of the Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A. The match ended in a thrilling 13-13 draw, showcasing the determination and skill of both teams.
The opening minutes saw Navan pressuring Cashel within the five-meter line, but an unfortunate knock-on allowed Cashel to clear their lines. Cashel took the lead with a penalty scored by full-back Ben Twomey after some scrappy exchanges in midfield. Cashel's out-half, Jack Evenden, was then sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle.
Despite being a man down, Cashel extended their lead with another penalty from Twomey. However, Navan responded just before halftime with a well-executed try. Captain Sean McEntagart's break in midfield set up open-side flanker Robbie Lailvaux for the score. Rory Gordon's successful conversion and two penalty kicks gave Navan a 10-6 lead at halftime.
Eight minutes into the second half, Gordon added another penalty to extend Navan's lead to 13-6. Cashel, determined to mount a comeback, found success just before the hour mark. Jack Armshaw, Cashel's scrumhalf, exploited a gap in Navan's defense for a try, and Twomey's conversion leveled the game at 13-13.
The final quarter of the game saw Navan dominating possession, applying immense pressure on Cashel to regain the lead. The home side showed ferocity and determination, creating opportunities in their opponent's half.
On the stroke of full-time, Navan had a penalty kick to secure the win. However, the strong wind contributed to the ball going wide of the posts, resulting in a share of the points at the final whistle.
Despite the draw, Navan's performance, coupled with other results, lifted them to ninth in the table at the end of the fourth block of fixtures. They are now only two points behind eighth-placed Greystones, whom they will face in Round Thirteen on Saturday, 10th February.
Navan Men's 1st's will look forward to their next challenge against Greystones, aiming to continue their climb up the league table in the coming fixtures.

Navan Men's 1st XV Squad "Sponsored by Hannon Travel":

Ryan Healy, Jamie Kavanagh, Jordan Finney, Eoghan Noonan,  Conor Hand, Robbie Lailvaux, Ben McEntagart, Harry Hester, Jake Matthews, Evan Dixon, Peter McEntagart, Kyle Dixon, Sean McEntagart (Capt), Paddy Fox, Rory Gordon, Gary Faulkner, Conor Ryan, Liam Carroll, Harry Devlin.