ST JOSEPHS 0-13
O’CONNELLS 0-10

St Josephs finished top of the Senior Championship Group 3 table thanks to this three-point win over neighbours O’Connells at Darver on Sunday evening.

The Grove side went into the game needing a victory by six points to keep alive their hopes of making it through to the last eight but instead they finish bottom of the table while Dundalk Gaels advance to the quarter-final.

The Joes made a bright start and with the help scores from Alan Quigley (3) and Conall McCaul they established an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead with Robert Quigley getting the O’Connells off the mark.

The Bellingham side then gained a foothold in the match and scores from Bernard Osborne, Paul McKeever and Salem Rifaie saw them level at five points apiece. However, the Joes had the final say of the half with Gabriel Bell sending over a point to give his side a 0-6 to 0-5 advantage. Just before the interval the game was moved to the main pitch in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines after a player injury.

The Joes had the edge in the third quarter and pointed through Ben Collier, Craig Doherty and McCaul to establish a 0-10 to 0-7 lead with Niall Conlon on target for the O’Connells.

The men from The Grove battled to bridge that gap but the Joes were able to keep them at arm’s length in the closing stages and they went on to claim a deserved win.

Points from Ben Collier and Conall McCaul extended the gap to three and although Niall Conlon Corrigan responded, the Cluskey Park side went 0-11 to 0-7 clear thanks to Craig Doherty and Alan Quigley.

Entering the closing stages the Joes went 0-13 to 0-8 clear and although O’Connells battled to the end they could only manage two more points as the Joes saw out the game for their second victory in the group.

ST JOSEPHS: Mark Neary; Liam O’Leary, Michael Staunton, Conor Neary; Shane McQuillan,  Killian Staunton, Gabriel Bell (0-1); Alan McKenna, Thomas Smyth; Jack Mulligan (0-2), Ben Collier (0-1), Oisin McGuinness; Alan Quigley (0-4), Daire Smyth, Conall McCaul (0-4); Subs: Craig Doherty (0-1) , Ben Mulligan, Adam O’Connor.

O’CONNELLS: Stuart Reynolds; Emmet Byrne, Conor Byrne, Salem Rifaie 0-1; Jackie Agnew, Stuart Osborne 0-1, Eimhin Caldwell; Ciaran O’Brien, Sean Cairns; Dean Corrigan 0-1, Conor McGill, Niall Conlon 0-2; Robert Quigley 0-1, Bernard Osborne 0-3, Conor Culligan. Subs: Paul McKeever 0-1 for Quigley, Conor Kiernan for McGill, Conor McGill for Culligan, Jack Sadlier for Cairns.

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