The Joes started best, with three early points from play, two for Conal O Hanlon and one for Derek Mulligan. This would set the tone for the evening with all Joes scores coming from play and many of them well taken points at that. But the home side eventually settled and when they did they hit the next four points to put them in front. These scores were shared between Ciaran Sheelan and Mickey Rafferty, with both of Sheelans coming from frees. The next score would come after a contentious moment in the game! Cooley had claims for a goal on 23 minutes, but Ciaran Sheelans shot was adjudged to have come back off the crossbar rather that the stanchion inside the net as the home side were claiming, with neither the referee or their own umpire (a highly experienced goalkeeper in his day) giving the goal. The ball was then worked the length of the field before Alan Mc Kenna popped the ball over the bar. This was soon followed by a very fine Pete Mulligan point from just inside the 50, before Cooley midfielder Sean O Neill followed suit with a long range point of his own. Conal O Hanlon and Gavin Long also traded points before the break.

Half Time: St Josephs 0-6, Cooley Kickhams 0-6

The Joes again started the second half brightly with two points in the space of a minute, the first from scorer in chief on the night Conal O Hanlon and the second another fine effort from Pete Mulligan off his left boot. Aoghan Mc Guinness for Cooley and John Mc Guinness for the Joes traded points from play to leave the Joes still two points up at the three quarter stage. But Cooley would pull it level by the 25 minute mark with points for Ciaran Sheelan and Sean Mc Donald. But in the last few minutes Peter Mulligan found Derek Mulligan inside to put the visitors back in front, before the aformentioned midfielder got his third point from play on the 30th minute and give the Joes a dangerous two point lead heading into injury time. They did have one more chance in injury time to seal the deal which was not taken. With 33 minutes played, disaster struck with a goal from substitute Ronan Hanlon that saw Cooley Kickhams snatch victory

Full Time Score: St Josephs 0-11, Cooley Kickhams 1-9

While the Joes should be very happy with the level of performance scoring 11 points from play in Fr Mc Evoy Park, they will be disappointed to have let the win slip, not for the points attached to it in the competition, but just to have sealed a good performance with a good win. The win keeps Cooley top of the group with a 100% win record. Next up for the Joes is Mattock Rangers in Cluskey Park at 3pm on Sunday next.

Joes Team: Robert Samson; Philip Kinahan, Kevin Woods, Anthony Keenan; Andrew Cluskey, Conor Murtagh, Daire McKiernan; Peter Mulligan 0-3, John Murtagh; John McGuinness 0-1, Peter Brennan, Alan Lynch; Derek Mulligan 0-2, Conall OHanlon 0-4, Alan McKenna 0-1.

Subs: Sean McQuillan for A Cluskey, Tomas Smyth for A Lynch.

Cooley Kickhams: Seamus Quigley; David Reilly, Keith White, Oisin McCarthy; Alan Page, Richard Brennan, Patrick McGrath; Sean ONeill 0-1, Gavin Long 0-1; Sean Donnelly, Aoghan McGuinness 0-1, Gerald Malone; Ciaran Sheelan 0-3, Jason Long, Michael Rafferty 0-2. Subs: Conor Rafferty for J Long, Sean McDonald 0-1, Ronan Hanlon 1-0 for S Donnelly, Declan McGuinness for G Long.

[Report: Michael Kinahan]