ST JOSEPH'S ..........................2-10

IRVINESTOWN .........................3-9

A terrific opening day derby clash here with Irvinestown plundering what could at season's end be an absolutely vital victory. The newly relegated team however were to be pushed to the limit by a committed Ederney squad and it was not until deep into added on time that the win was to be secured.

St Joseph's will obviously be deeply frustrated that they didn't rack up what would have been a massively important win which would have given their promotion bid an immediate launch off.

But they can still take a lot from their overall performance and if they can maintain this level of effort they can make the second division promotion battle a very interesting one indeed.

Irvinestown couldn't complain about the tonic start which they fashioned for themselves as they rampaged through for a couple of early scores, one of these being a neatly taken goal from Conor McGuigan.

But St Joseph's had come into this opening day with a determined frame of mind that they were going to make an impact and by the time that the interval was reached they had hauled themselves level on a scoreline of 1-5 each.

Key score for them had been their answering goal, this a smoothly taken effort by Enda Ferris on twenty minutes, as he claimed possession close in on goal, neatly manoeuvred himself into space and cracked home his shot.

Points for St Joseph's had come from a number of players, Paul McCusker, Paul Gallogly and Declan McCusker on the list, Manus O'Kane among those responding for Irvinestown.

It had been a thoroughly competitive affair and nothing was to change in a finely balanced second half which was highlighted by three goals.

The Ederney goal arrived around the threequarter mark this the end result of a sweet attacking movement which involved a clutch of players before being rounded off by Declan McCusker.

This score jumped St Joseph's two points clear and a critical victory was on the horizon but Irvinestown were not to be dispatched. They had a second goal which kept them within range.

However they were finding it hard going in the face of some resolute St Joseph's play and it seemed that the win was indeed going to elude them.

It did all come right for them in the end with a last gasp winning goal supplied by Gary Maguire and St Joseph's were left to rue on what would have been a victory which would have had a fundamental effect on their season.

For St Joseph's, Enda Ferris was always a potent threat up front and in their defence, Martin Maguire and Conor Keown were both on top form. As for Irvinestown, Francis Ward and Conor Doonan were prominent with Dwayne McNulty also showing up well for them.

Referee Fergal Cleary Kinawley.