REIGNING ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS Cuala suffered a 1-18 to 0-14 defeat to Ballyboden St Enda’s in Parnell Park tonight but still progressed to the Dublin SHC quarter-finals. 

Following tonight’s win, Ballyboden finish top of Group 3 and will now be seeded in the last eight stages. 

By 12 minutes, Cuala — without Dublin All-Ireland football winner Con O’Callaghan after their victory over Tyrone on Sunday, among others — had raced into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead but Aidan Mellet soon drew the game with a goal at the other end. 

Ballyboden pushed on from there, developing a 1-10 to 0-10 half-time lead.

Moments after the restart, Cuala full-forward David Treacy saw his penalty saved by Gary Maguire and the eventual winners went on to grow further and further in confidence from there, tagging on some lovely points and closing out a seven-point win.

It came as the second of this evening’s Dublin SHC clashes as the last round of group games take place this week.

Attached are the @BodenGaa & @CualaCLG Senior Hurling squads ahead of their Dublin Senior Hurling C’ship clash here in Parnell Park @ 8.15pm! ↓↓ #DSHC1 #Allianz #Gaa RT pic.twitter.com/buo870Otn9

— DubMatchTracker (@DubMatchTracker) September 5, 2018

The opening game of the Donnycarney double-header between Craobh Chiarain and St Brigid’s was a dead rubber.

Craobh Chiarain — the eventual winners — got the dream start as Billy Ryan found the back of the net to draw first blood with just two minutes on the clock. 

The same player rattled the net again with 24 minutes gone to make it 2-7 to 0-5 before James O’Connell struck a major back at the other end seconds later.

Three points down at the break, St Brigid’s came out fighting on the restart and Eoghan Dunne fired home to put them 2-10 to 2-9 ahead after six minutes.

It was tit-for-tat for much of the second half but Craobh Chiarain’s 57th-minute goal through Conor Ryan was the difference and the game finished 3-14 to 2-12.

Attached are the @craobhchiarain & @StBrigidsGAA Senior Hurling squads ahead of their Dublin Senior Hurling clash here in Parnell Park @ 6.45pm! ↓↓ #DSHC1 #Allianz #Gaa RT pic.twitter.com/Tvi626FWmx

— DubMatchTracker (@DubMatchTracker) September 5, 2018

This weekend there’s plenty more to play for with quarter-final spots up for grabs. Na Fianna and Kilmacud Crokes have already ensured their progression in Group 2 but they face each other on Friday to decide top spot.

Here are the fixtures in full:

Friday 7 September

Group 2

• Nh Fionnbarra v Whitehall Colmcille, Parnell Park, 6.45pm
• Kilmacud Crokes v Na Fianna, Parnell Park, 8.15pm

Saturday 8 September

Group 1 

• St Vincent’s v O’Toole’s, Parnell Park, 5.30pm
• Raheny v St Jude’s, O’Toole Park, 5.30pm 

Group 4

• Lucan Sarsfields v Setanta, O’Toole Park, 4pm
• Crumlin v Ballinteer St John’s, Parnell Park, 4pm

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