The Junior Cup team’s efforts to win a second Leinster pennant in three years ended in heartbreak on Saturday evening in Callan when they were beaten 3-2 by Malahide.

In the morning quarter-final against Mullingar, a 2&1 win for Ciaran Traynor, a 4&3 win for Kyle Rafferty and a 5&4 win for Shane Hession got Dundalk over the line with Brian Renaghan all square after 14 and Clem Walshe two down after 14 when they were called in.

The semi-final was a real topsy turvey affair with the lead shifting several times over the duration of the afternoon before the match went to the wire. Ciaran Traynor lost 3& 2 in the top match and Kyle Rafferty also lost 3&2 but Clem Walshe had a comprehensive 5&4 win before Shane Hession won on the 19^th to leave the tie delicately poised at 2-2 with one match out on the course.

There was little between Brian Og Renaghan and his opponent Ryan Gibson but a controversial ruling on the ninth hole saw the Dundalk player denied a win that would have put him two up and instead left all-square at the turn. The pair remained deadlock all the way to 20^th hole when Gibson birdied to send Malahide through the final which they subsequently lost to Grange.