Four Leinster teams - Meath, Westmeath, Carlow and Kildare - will contest the 2007 Christy Ring Cup semi-finals after yesterday's final round of group matches.
Meath and Westmeath have topped Group 2A with three wins and a draw apiece, but the Royals claim top spot courtesy of a better scoring difference.
Meath are the only team left to have never qualified for a semi-final before and John Andrews' side grabbed a 1-21 to 2-12 win over Down at Ballycran to gain a safe passage through to the knockout stages.
Half-forward Nicky Horan was the visitors' saviour as he landed 0-13 (0-11f), with full-forward Stephen Clynch netting a decisive goal just minutes from the finish.
Down, who have had a summer to forget, led by 2-11 to 0-13 going into the final quarter, with Simon Wilson (1-06) and Ciaran Coulter (1-01) leading their scoring.
But the Royals, who lost corner-forward Joey Keena to a red card, came good by striking seven unanswered points and then Clynch notched his major in injury-time.
Westmeath claimed a hard-fought 1-14 to 1-11 victory at Cusack Park in what was a winner-takes-all clash. The Lake County, the 2005 champions, kept hold of second place in the table with a determined display.
Westmeath's semi-final opponents next Saturday will be Carlow, who topped the Group 2B standings as the only team in this year's competition with a 100% record.
Eoin Garvey's Carlow outfit had to come from behind to secure their fourth straight win of the campaign - a 2-16 to 3-10 dismissal of London at Ruislip.
The Exiles raced into a 3-08 to 0-08 half-time lead having played with the wind at their backs. Martin Finn (2-04) and Eoin Rocks (1-00) were the hosts' top marksmen.
However goals from Alan Brennan (37 minutes) and substitute Brendan Lawlor (injury-time) saw Carlow take the spoils.
Carlow and Kildare, who had a bye this weekend, also made it through to the 2005 Christy Ring Cup semi-finals but both sides lost in the last-four with Westmeath emerging as the inaugural year's champions.
Last year Carlow and Kildare were again semi-finalists with Carlow managing to make it through to the final where they were outclassed by Antrim in a 5-13 to 1-07 defeat.
Meanwhile, Derry were 3-20 to 3-12 winners over Wicklow at Ballinascreen in Group 2B's other match yesterday.
The Oak Leafers tellingly strung together successive scores mid-way through the second half, with points from Gareth O'Kane, Gavan Kelly (0-02) and Paddy McCloskey followed by a 55th-minute goal from Seán Leo McGoldrick.
