It was the Joes who were indeed the quickest to settle, anxious to make use of the advantage that the elements provided, they got the quick ball into the full forward line, who duly made hay! Derek Mulligan got the first two points, before Conal O Hanlon burst through to get the third and then Alan Mc Kenna made sure that he wasnt odd man out in the full forward line, with a fine point off the right boot, to give the Joes and early four point advantage. The Mochtas got off the mark when Declan Byrne took a free short to the unmarked Donal Gernon who pointed well. But the next score put the Joes six in front. It involved an attack where Conal O Hanlon hit post, Alan Mc Kenna hit the crossbar and John Murtagh worked hard to win the ball back, before the aformentioned O Hanlon rifled home the final shot to the roof of the net. There was a quick response to this with a Declan Byrne point, before a Peter Brennan interception created a move that finished with a Derek Mulligan point. In the tit for tat scoring that enveloped this period of the game, Martin Mc Gahon struck next for the Mochtas. When Alan Lynch was fouled, Conal O Hanlon struck over the first Joes free of the game. Again it was the Mochtas who struck next with a good point from Byrne off the left foot. But the Joes followed this up with an Alan Mc Kenna free from the right corner after Derek Mulligan was fouled, to restore the six point advantage. However, Ken Meegan won a soft free for the home side just before the break, which Byrne converted from 21 yards out.

Half Time Score: St Josephs 1-7, St Mochtas 0-5

The fear for the Joes at the start of the second half, was had they built up enough of a lead when they had the wind at their backs? Any fears however were alleviated (for a while anyway) within the first minute. Having lost the initial throw in, John Murtagh won the ball back, before a sweet pass in from Peter Mulligan set the Joes on the attack and when Derek Mulligans high looping shot eventually dropped short on the square Conal O Hanlon pounced to punch home his second goal of the game. However, as expected, the Mochtas would make good use of the wind and outscored the Joes by three points to nil over the next ten minutes. A 50 yard free from Byrne was followed up a good score from Eamonn O Neill in the right corner, before Byrne got another from play. Again the Joes cancelled out all the home sides good work, with goal in the 13th minute. O Hanlon played a cross field ball to Alan Mc Kenna, who set up the onrushing Andrew Cluskey, who finished to the bottom corner. The Mochtas best chance of a major came minutes later, when Conor Murtagh blocked a shot on goal, before the ball popped back out to Liam Mc Granaghan, who took his point. This would leave the Joes with a seven point lead entering the final quarter. It is fair to say though that the Joes did not make it easy on themselves in this final quarter and Mochtas would fight their way right back into the game. Eamonn O Neill and Philip Englishby would get points from play, before Byrne kicked two frees in quick succession to leave just a score in, with 22 minutes played. This is where the tensions really rathced up on both sides and it showed, as the next five minutes went scoreless, with a lot of ball given away by both sides. With 27 minutes played, referee Gabriel McKenny and the Mochtas umpire awarded a point to Liam Mc Granaghan, which to all on the dressing room side of the field and the Joes umpire, clearly appeared to be wide. Therefore, when Declan Byrne kicked another free in the last minute of normal, time there was just the minimum between the sides, for the first time since the start of the game! However, the Joes won the kickout and worked the ball forward, for Conal O Hanlon to score the first Joes point of the half in the early stages of injury time and settle the nerves.

Full Time Score: St Josephs 3-8, St Mochtas 0-15

Joes Team: Robert Sansom, Philip Kinahan, Kevin Woods, Anthony Keenan, Andrew Cluskey, Conor Murtagh, Daire Mc Kiernan, John Murtagh, Peter Mulligan, Alan Lynch, Peter Brennan, Tomas Smyth, Alan Mc Kenna (0-2), Conal O Hanlon (2-3), Derek Mulligan (0-3).

Substitutions: Sean Mc Quillan for Daire Mc Kiernan, Cian Smyth for Alan Lynch, Mark Neary for Alan Mc Kenna.

Mochtas Team: Conor Ryan, Paul Marron, Philip Englishby (0-1), Gary Connolly, Donal Gernon (0-1), Jervais Marron, Shane Mc Mahon, Declan Byrne (0-8), Gareth O Reilly, Liam Mc Granaghan (0-2), Martin Mc Gahon, Sean Crawley, Kenneth Meegan, Eamonn O Neill, Nigel Farrell.

Substitute: Colin Hoey

Referee: Gabriel Mc Kenny