Howard fires Crokes into SHC quarter-final

Kilmacud Crokes booked their berth in the quarter-finals when they defeated Whitehall Colmcille 2-20 to 0-16 in Friday night's Dublin SHC 'A' Group 2 contest in O'Toole Park.

By virtue of this result Na Fianna, victors over O'Toole's on Thursday night, also progress out of Group 2, still with one round of games to complete the round-robin section.

First-half goals from Ronan Hayes and Mark Howard put Crokes on the road to victory as they held a 2-8 to 0-8 interval advantage.

Cork U21 hurler of last year, Howard, finished the game as top-scorer with 1-11 (0-7f), edging out Whitehall's Seán Gray (0-13, 8f, 2 '65'), as the Passage native continues to add to Kilmacud's attack.

Hayes struck for his goal in the sixth minute when the powered through and fired to the Whitehall net past keeper Ronan Murray.

Only two minutes later Murray was again retrieving the sliotar from his net, this time after Howard had breached the Colmcille's defence.

However, Whitehall kept very much in the game through the freetaking of Gray as well as points from play from Paddy Spellacy and Niall O'Connor.

In the second period the longer the half progressed the more Whitehall were in need of a goal to inject life into their fading hopes.

Cormac Costello got one brief sighting on goal but his effort flashed past Matt Collins' post as Anthony Daly's men emerged ten-point victors and have their last-eight spot booked before the summer championship break.

Crokes face Na Fianna in their last round-robin match which will decide who tops Group 2.