The Rock secure quarter-final place at Kilcavan's expense

A hat-trick from Stephen McDonald helped The Rock to a big win over Kilcavan in a hugely physical affair on Sunday afternoon. The win sends The Rock through to the quarter-final and knocks Kilcavan out.

The Harps had topped Group C of the Junior Football Championship after upset victories in the first two rounds over both Kilcavan and The Rock. The two sides had each beaten Barrowhouse in the opening rounds, meaning this was a straight shootout for a place in the knockout stage.

The Rock 4-10 

Kilcavan 0-7

The game got off to a very competitive start, as scoring looked to be an afterthought for the first ten minutes, with both sides trying to assert physical dominance. The Rock began to take control and went a couple of scores ahead midway through the half. It could have been more, but they failed to take some clear chances.

They learned their lesson, however, and raised a dramatic green flag in the 19th minute. A long ball in bounced in front of Kilcavan goalkeeper, Declan White, who did extremely well to force the ball onto the crossbar; but Cormac Joyce was on hand to punch the rebound into the net.

Cian Ryle and Tristan Hunt looked to have brought Kilcavan right back into the tie, only for The Rock to grab their second goal on the stroke of half time. 2-4 to 0-4 at the interval. 

The hugely competitive collisions continued in the second half, but McDonald and The Rock put the game to bed in an unbelievable two-minute spell. McDonald got his second goal on 37 minutes with a beautiful finish, and before Kilcavan had a chance to regroup he had his third in 39th minute.

Kilcavan found a couple of scores before referee Padraig Dunne produced a black card for either side; first to The Rock's Victor Oladapo and then to Kilcavan's Tristan Hunt - both of whom had been outstanding up until that point.

Oladapo did get back on towards the end and played a big part in The Rock closing out the game with five unanswered points.

The defeat brings an end to a disappointing championship for Kilcavan after what had been a promising league campaign. 

The Rock now go forward to the quarter-final where they will play the winner of Spink v Graiguecullen. The Harps await the winners in the semi-final. On the other side of the draw Annanough will play St Joseph's in the other semi-final.