AN eight-point tally from team captain Neil McGleenan couldn’t prevent last year’s Sigerson Cup semi-finalists Coleraine losing out by a point to Trinity (1-11 to 0-13) in division two of the Higher Education league at the weekend.
Trinity corner-forward David Fagan hit the key lone goal of the Santry contest in the first half after some very sloppy defence work by the northerners.
The goal gave TCD a 1-4 to 0-6 interval advantage but UUC hopes were raised by five unanswered third-quarter points.
This edged Coleraine into a highly promising 0-11 to 1-4 lead.
Four of the quickfire scores came from the boot of free-taker McGleenan.
While the third quarter belonged to UUC, the final stages of the game were a different story with the Dublin team hitting five points without reply.
The winner came deep in injury-time. UUC scorers: N McGleenan (0-8), N McSorley (0-3), K Mallie, S McKelvey (both 0-1).
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CATHAL O’Grady's 59-second cruiser demolition at Wembley Arena at the weekend has manager Brian Peters thinking of trying to find ‘a runner’ for O’Grady’s fourth pro outing in Belfast on December 20.
A first minute mauling of Welsh heavyweight Lee Williams delighted the solid southpaw’s 150 travelling support from Ireland, but it’s with a constructive eye Peters is looking to the future with.
“I’m happy enough with the result, what else can you say when your lad wins in the first? Cathal just walked straight in and milled him. He just took him out,” he said.
“It was powerful stuff but I want to see someone who can take him a bit further, make him think a bit more than his first three opponents have been able to do.
“ I would prefer someone who would make Cathal chase him a bit, a runner who’ll make him have to work to cut him off, fire a few good shots back to sharpen the defence.”
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ARMAGH GAA convention delegates will hear a call this weekend from Crossmaglen for players to be excused from county training and NFL games when their clubs are still involved in the AIB Club Championships.
All-Ireland club champions Crossmaglen withdrew their players from the Armagh panel during last year’s NFL and the move caused friction between the Rangers club and county managers Brian McAlinden and Brian Canavan.
The Crossmaglen players were also unavailable during the early part of the current NFL prior to the south Armagh outfit’s exit from the Ulster Club Championship. Oisin McConville, Cathal Short and the two McEntee brothers have now returned to the county panel.
However, the Crossmaglen motion to Sunday’s convention indicates that the club feels the overall issue of club v county needs official clarification.
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JOSEPH McAllister became the latest St Malachy’s, Belfast student to claim a national athletics title.
The north Belfast man emerged from the shadow of team-mates Colm McLean and Conor Sweeney to win the boys U17 title at the BLOE Cross-Championships in Kilcoole, County Wicklow. McAllister and Leevale’s Brian Keane broke away from the field at half-way and then fought out a dogged battle during the remainder of the race.
The northerner made the decisive move with less than 200 metres to go which gave him a narrow win over the Cork man. McAllister’s victory earns him a place in the six-man Irish team for the Durham Cross-Country International on January 3.
He was already guaranteed a trip to the north of England as St Malachy’s will be sending a squad to Durham but his selection for another international vest is, nevertheless, a boost.
