Super Saints march into the last eight

2-13 0-14

with points from Paul Carrie and Burns with a brace of frees and they should have notched the opening goal when David Finn mis-kicked completely from point-blank range in the lead up to Carrie’s effort.

Mochta’s slowly settled into the game and the key to their success was taking control of the midfield battle, with Eamon O’Neill and Darren McMahon possessing too much pace and fitness for Tony McKenna and and Ryan Ward.

O’Neill kicked two first-half points and McMahon helped himself to one in each half, the first of which leveledd the match at 0-4 apiece in the 16th minute.

Declan Byrne and McCooey were a constant threat in the Mochta’s full forward line and the latter edged them in front with a free.

O’Neill and McCooey followed up to complete the circle as Mochta’s went from three down to three up, 0-7 to 0-4.

Burns closed the gap to the minimum with a quick brace, but a poor kick-out from Niall Carrie gifted Mochta’s their first goal in the 28th minute with Barry Mulholland taking possession and feeding Declan Byrne for a classy finish to the top corner.

The Louth man added a point to put five between the sides but Glen Mathews kept Rovers in touch with an injury-time score, making it 1-8 to 0-7 at the break.

Hunterstown started the second-half like they did the first, on the front foot, and they closed the gap to a goal, but Mochta’s nipped the comebcak in the bud in the 45th minute.

The enigmatic McCooey went on a mazy run, rounding two or three players and although he looked to have lost possession, he somehow let fly with a superb volley that gave Carrie no chance.

A Jamie Farrell point less than two minutes later put six between the sides and there was really no way back for Hunterstown after that.

They twice reduced the gap to four but Mochta’s re-established they two-goal cushion each time to comfortably hold out for a quarter-final spot.

ST MOCHTA’S: Jason Callan; David Lennon, Philip Englishby, Liam Lawlor; Gareth O’Reilly 0-1, Andrew English, Patrick Mooney; Darren McMahon 0-2, Eamon O’Neill 0-2; Barry Mulholland, Gerry Garland 0-1, Jamie Farrell 0-1; Stephen McCooey 1-2, Declan Byrne 1-4 (2f), Emlyn Clerkin. Subs: Ciaran McMahon for J Farrell (51), Robert Wallace for P Englishby (BC 55), Liam McGranaghan for E O’Neill (60).

HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS: Niall Carrie; Brian Matthews, Richard Taaffe, Martin Lennon; David Finn, Patrick Taaffe, Patrick Mooney; Tony McKenna, Ryan Ward; Brendan Lennon 0-2, Ryan Burns 0-8 (6f), Muiris O Suilleabhain; Paul Carrie 0-1, Mark Brennan, Glen Mathews 0-2. Subs: Alan Landy 0-1 for M Brennan (ht), Marc Ward for D Finn (48), Conor Mathews for R Ward (57).

REFEREE: Des McDonnell.