GAELIC GAMES St Declan's... 4-8  Dundalk Colleges... 2-8: St Declan's sealed their place in the next round of the Leinster College's Senior football championship with a hard-fought victory over Dundalk Schools at DCU yesterday. A goal with three minutes remaining from substitute Peadar Carton put St Declan's in front and it was his brother Michael who rounded off the scoring in injury time with a powerful strike.

Dundalk had the advantage of the wind in the first half but it was St Declan's who played the more intelligent football as Michael Carton set up first Paudí Kelly and then Paddy Bergin for goals and a 2-0 to 0-3 lead for the Dubliners in the 12th minute.

A minute later Brian Murnaghan grabbed a goal for Dundalk to take a 1-7 to 2-2 into the break and they were indebted to goalkeeper Robert Arthur who made an excellent save before the interval.

St Declan's were made to pay for the errors when Derek Crilly picked up a pass from Shane Lennon after 41 minutes and placed the ball past Alan Nolan to give Dundalk a 2-7 to 2-4 lead.

Peadar Carton fisted home a long pass from Brendan McInerney to give them the lead with three minutes remaining. Mark Cahill added a point to make it 3-8 to 2-8 before Mark Carton hit the net to seal a deserved victory.

ST DECLAN'S: A Nolan; P O'Dea, L Fleming, B McInerney; D Redmond, C Plunkett, R Curran; M Carton (1-2), P Fitzgerald; M Cahill (0-2, 1 free), P Kelly (1-0), P Bergin (1-1); E Maguire (0-3, 3 frees), G Morris, W Tyrell. Replacements: D Davis for P O'Dea 46 mins; N Paget for M Cahill 60 mins; P Carton (1-0) for P Kelly 41 mins; R Kelly for P Bergin 55 mins.

DUNDALK SCHOOLS: R Arthur; J Peters, K Moran, N Smyth; R Byrne, C Sheridan, M Clifford; D McComish, N Gallagher; D McConnon, J O'Brien, B Murnaghan (1-0); D Crilly (1-1), M Rafferty, S Lennon (0-7, 0-6 frees). Replacements: S Coleman for D McComish 23 mins; J Rogers for M Rafferty 45 mins.

Referee: T McCarthy (St Vincents).