Gaeil Colmcille came from five points down with 11 minutes to go to rescue a draw with goalkeeper Barry Farrelly pointing a free deep into injury-time.
In a game that ebbed and flowed throughout, it was Ratoath that opened the thanks to a 14 yard free in the 2nd minute. Seamus Mattimoe got Kells first score shortly after when he cut inside from the right touch line and pointed with the trusted left foot.
Gaeil Colmcille got two of the next three points with Barry Farrelly pointing a free and Hanlon adding a free shortly after to see the visitors lead 0-03 to 0-02. Mattimoe added another score but two points from Ratoath left the teams level with 15 minutes played in what was a busy opening quarter.
Three Hanlon points with a Ratoath point sandwiched in between saw Kells stretch two points clear heading into the final stages of the half. Ratoath replied with two points to leave the sides level at the break at 0-07 all.
The first 11 minutes of the second half belonged to Ratoath, with Kells missing scoreable shots one end, Ratoath made no mistake the other end and got the first three points of the half to see the biggest lead of the match at 0-10 to 0-07 in favour of the County Champions.
A Brian Hanlon free stopped the rot for Kells but the Gaeils was soon hit with a sucker punch as Ratoath overturned a Kells kickout and a quick break resulted in the ball landing in the back of the net to see the lead increase to five points. Could Kells respond to the Ratoath goal? And the answer was yes, Rian Early won a Barry Farrelly kickout, laid the ball off to the on rushing Liam Ferguson who found Hanlon inside, Hanlon looked up and seen Fionn Reilly bursting through the centre and Reilly rattle the bottom corner of the net to chalk off the Ratoath goal.
Kells were applying a heavy press in the closing stages and a dispossession of the Ratoath keeper saw him receive his marching orders with a black card which was upgraded to red by referee David Coldrick. Hanlon pointed the free and left the minimum between the sides. Further pressure by Kells saw their hard working forwards hold up the Ratoath defence and the defender was penalised for over carrying the ball.
Up stepped Farrelly who made no mistake to claim a draw with the last kick of the game to leave a fair result on relegation of the overall game.
Gaeil Colmcille: Barry Farrelly (0-02) Adam Muldoon, Adam Donnelly, James Reilly, Jordan Muldoon, Jonny Quigley, Barry Tormay, Aaron Browne, Liam Ferguson, Seamus Mattimoe (0-02), Fionn Reilly (1-00), Ajay Tormey, Ryan Farnham, Brian Hanlon (0-06), Rian Early.
Subs: Seanie Curran for Farnham, Danny Muldoon for Browne, Fionn Ferguson for Early
