Gaeil Colmcille......1-19
Simonstown...........2-11
Simonstown will play Ballinabrackey in a relegation quarter-final after this latest defeat in the team's final group game, this time to Gaeil Colmcille.
It was an improved performance on the 10-point defeat to Wolfe Tones in the previous round, despite their fate in the group already sealed.
Simonstown jumped out in front at the start but the lead was all too brief as Gaeil Colmcille used their counterattacking game to good effect.
At one stage they were nine points clear with only a converted Ben Hoey penalty stemming the tide.
By the break however it was back to six points with a fine Shane O'Rourke (pictured) point leaving Simonstown 1-11 to 1-5 behind.
Simonstown threw everything at it in the third quarter but at the second water break they were still five points down, 1-14 to 1-9.
Neil Kane kept up his strong scoring record this season with a goal and that brought them to within two points.
With Kane and Josh Carolan raiding to good effect from half-back, Simonstown had Kells on the back foot and might have had at least another goal but for a fine save from 'keeper Justin Carry-Lynch. Carolan would finish the game with three points, Kane with 1-2, almost half the team's scores.
But as they committed so many numbers forward Simonstown were always vulnerable on the break and with Seamus Mattimoe hitting 1-7, the Kells side eased their passage to the quarter-finals.
Simonstown now play Ballinabrackey in just over three weeks' time for the first time in a senior championship game and in the meantime look likely to have a Feis Cup final with Wolfe Tones.
Simonstown scorers - N Kane 1-2, J Carolan 0-3, B Hoey 1-0 (pen), B McGrath 0-2, P McKeever, C Sheridan, R Connor, S O'Rourke 0-1 each.
Simonstown: R Burlingham; M Gardiner, S Moran, B Conlon; J Carolan, N Kane, A Chincilla; S O'Rourke, S Conlon; R O'Connor, B McGrath, R Connor; B Hoey, P McKeever, C Sheridan. Subs: S Tobin for R O'Connor, M McCabe for Connor, M Devlin for Chincilla, S Barry for O'Rourke, Chincilla for McKeever.
