NEWTOWN BLUES 1-11

ST JOSEPHS 0-8

Newtown Blues are back in the Senior Championship Final after a strong finish helped them break St Josephs hearts at The Grove on Saturday evening.

A first half goal from Kevin Carr proved crucial as the Drogheda men ended the Joes hopes of adding the senior title to the Intermediate crown they won last year.

The Blues went into the game as strong favourites but it was the Joes who got off to the better start and went two points clear through an Alan Quigley brace.

Ross Nally replied with two points to level the game, but the Joes remained on top and scores from Conal O'Hanlon and Bernard Mulligan restored their advantage.

The Cluskey Park side were unable to build on that positive start and the Blues soon got into their stride and pulled back a point through Stephen Moonan before Kevin Carr put his side ahead for the first time at 1-3 to 0-4 with the only goal of the game.

Conal O'Hanlon had the final score of the half to leave the minimum between the teams, but soon after the restart the gap was out to three thanks to two points from Ciaran Downey.

The Blues then pressed home their advantage with further scores from John Kermode (2) and Andy McDonnell to lead by 1-8 to 0-6.

The Joes were unable to respond to the challenge and when Nally and Hugh McGinn fired over the lead was up to seven with just five minutes remaining. Although O'Hanlon and Jack Mulligan landed late scores for the Joes, a Ciaran Downey point rounded-off the impressive six-point win.

NEWTOWN BLUES: Jason Lowney; Niall Costello, Fergal O'Donoghue, John Connolly; Stephen Moonan 0-1, Cormac Reynolds, Kevin Carr 1-0; Andy McDonnell 0-1, John Kermode 0-2; Conor Brannigan, Ciaran Downey 0-2, Robert Carr; Colm Judge, Ross Nally 0-2, Conor Moore. Subs: Emmet Carolan for C Reynolds, Paul Moore for J Kermode, Derek Kierans 0-2 for C Brannigan, Hugh McGinn 0-1 for C Moore.

ST JOSEPHS: Robert Sansom; Alan Lynch, Bernard Mulligan 0-1, Stefan Potts; Cian McGuinness, David Kieran, Shane McQuillan; Peter Brennan, Adam O'Connor; Craig Doherty, Conall Smyth, Daire Smyth; Alan Quigley 0-2, Conal O'Hanlon 0-4 (3f), Alan McKenna. Subs: Jack Mulligan 0-1, Killian Staunton, Oisin McGuinness.

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