For the 2nd Championship game in a row St. Pauls made the trip to Shandonagh to take on St. Josephs in Round 4 of the Championship on Friday evening last. After some torrential rain earlier in the day conditions were slippery underfoot but clear sunny skies greeted both teams by the time they took to the field. St. Pauls went into this game knowing only a win would suffice if they are to mount a serious challenge for honours this year and that objective was achieved against a disappointing St. Josephs.

Corner forward Darren Dugdale opened the scoring for the men in blue within the first 2 minutes with a well taken point before St. Josephs struck back with a point of their own with 3 minutes gone. However this was to be the only score St. Josephs would score in the 1st half. Points from Pauls full forward Ronan Kiernan, 3 converted frees from Conor Slater and a point from play by Conor Shaw left the Clonmellon up by 5 points after 17 minutes and in full control. A yellow card for a clumsy tackle by corner back Micky Murphy after 12 minutes and 3 spurned goal chances were the only negatives for the 1st half of this game. By the time the half time whistle came St. Pauls had effectively this game wrapped up as they went in leading on a scoreline of St. Pauls 1-10 St. Josephs 0-01 with further scores coming from Niall Leonard, Darren Dugdale, Johnny McGuinness and a excellently taken goal on 25 minutes by midfielder Philip Gilsenan after some good play from Johnny McGuinness and the on-form Jamie Fitzsimons in the build-up. St. Josephs came out in the 2nd half determined to put some respectability on the score line and their early 2nd half efforts were rewarded with a goal on 6 minutes. However their early efforts failed to develop and St. Pauls struck back with another pointed free from Slater and points from play by Conor Rice, Ronan Kiernan, Darren Dugdale, Philip Gilsenan, Johnny McGuinness and finally by Conor Shaw on the stroke of full time leaving the final score reading St. Pauls 1-17 St. Josephs 1-01.  

So its 2 more Championship points for St. Pauls but with Castletown-Finea/Coole-Whitehall, Multyfarnham, Kilbeggan all winning on the night the table remains as it was with the Clonmellon men sitting in forth. Stronger tests lay ahead for St. Pauls including games against local rivals Delvin, Finea and Kilbeggan and the multiple missed goal chances throughout Fridays game means there is plenty of work to do before the Delvin game.

The St. Pauls team that togged out on the day was as follows: Ollie Mulvaney, Gary Gilsenan, Ross Daly, Micky Murphy, Robbie Dugdale, Johnny Fitzpatrick, Jamie Fitzsimons, Conor Rice (0-1), Philip Gilsenan (1-01), Conor Slater (0-5, 4F), Conor Shaw (0-2), Johnny McGuinness (0-2), Niall Leonard (0-1), Ronan Kiernan (0-2), Darren Dugdale (0-3). Subs: Harry Kane for Micky Murphy (H.T), Conor Buckley for Conor Slater (55 mins), Richard Sheridan, Eoghan Reilly, Micky Tighe, Jimmy McQuaid, Paddy Reilly, Jack Carpenter.

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