Sigerson Cup second round: Garda College Templemore 1-9 UUJ 1-8
LAST year’s beaten Sigerson Cup finalists UUJ made a dramatic exit from the competition when they came out second best in a titanic duel with Garda College, Templemore at Athy in county Kildare.
The Jordanstown side only really got going in the final quarter of this thriller and were left to wonder what might have been if they had found their stride earlier in proceedings.
UUJ appeared to be moving into the driving seat when Gavin Diamond reduced the deficit to two points just 50 seconds after the restart, but his team failed to make use of the wind at their backs and Garda seized the initiative.
It was another 18 minutes before Jordanstown register their next score and in the meantime Garda had raced into a seven-point lead.
Kildare duo Cathal Sheridan and David Earley were the key figures for the Templemore side.
Best for the losers were Armagh senior Paddy McKeever, Gavin Diamond, Derry senior Sean McGuckian and Niall McSorley of Tyrone.
Garda College: J McCallion; A McNulty, M O’Donoghue, A Lyons; R Doyle, C Daly, M Ryan; D Connellan, J Whelan (0-2); D Earley (1-2), E Grogan (0-1), M Moynihan; J Lawlor, C Crowley, C Sheridan (0-4).
Subs: T Bowe (for Moynihan) 27 mins, A Hoey (for Lawlor) 47 mins, R Brennan (for Bowe) 59 mins:
UUJ: M Conlon; P Matthews, S McGuckian, P McGurk; R Lynch, SM Lockhart, F Crossan; B Duffy, J Toal; P McKeever (0-3), G Diamond (1-1), N McSorley (0-1); G Cunningham, P Loughran, J Cassidy (0-2).
Subs: N Clancy (for Cunningham) 43 mins, G Cassidy 0-1 (for Loughran) 46 mins.
Referee: J Bannon (Longford)
Comfortable win for Enniskillen
MacRory Cup quarter-final St Michael’s, Enniskillen 1-11 St Patrick’s, Cavan 2-3
ST Michael’s, Enniskillen deservedly booked their semi-final spot in the MacRory Cup at the expense of St Patrick’s College, Cavan and with a little more to spare than their five points winning margin in Clones on Saturday suggests.
Cavan got a great tonic after just 10 minutes when Tom McCormick broke through for a goal but that was to be their only score of the first half while St Michael’s went on to dominate hitting five unanswered points in the second quarter to lead by 0-6 to 1-0 at half-time.
Five minutes into the second half St Michael’s went further ahead when they broke out of defence for Shane McCabe to finish a fine move to the Cavan net.
A goal from a penalty after 22 minutes when Terry Hyland converted after Jonathan Higgins was grounded threw Cavan a late lifeline but they could not capitalise on it.
St Michael’s Enniskillen: D McKeogh, C Smith, B Owens, G McManus, N Keenan, F Donnelly, C Moane, M McGrath (0-1), C Boyle, G Maguire, C Monaghan (0-1), K McCaughey, S McCabe (1-1), C Bradley (0-8), P Mulanaphy.
Subs: Patrick O’Flanaghan (for K McCaughey), D McGovern (for P Mulanaphy), J McGovern (for C Moane) St Patrick’s
Cavan: J Carolan, C Harten, M Donohue, T Hyland (1-0), E Reilly, E King, A Brady, J Higgins, C Sheridan, P Murphy, L Byrne (0-1), T McCormick (1-0), N Walsh, D McArdle, M Foley (0-2).
Sub: S Murphy (for A Brady)
Referee: M McGrath (Donegal)
Fegan free punishes wasteful Maghera
MacRory Cup quarter-final St Colman’s, Newry 0-9 St Patrick’s, Maghera 1-5
A POINT from a free by St Colman’s captain Aidan Fegan four minutes from time snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against their great rivals St Patrick’s, Maghera in this tense and exciting MacRory Cup quarter-final at Corrigan Park, Belfast.
All that is good in colleges football was evident throughout an hour of high fielding, great passing movements and some wonderful blocking by both defences on a bitterly cold morning.
St Colman’s were two points ahead inside the opening minutes both from frees by Aidan Fegan. Noel McPeake and Paddy Bradley had the sides level after eight minutes but Colman’s forged ahead with points from Peter Hynes, Liam Doyle and an Aidan Fegan free to lead by 0-5 to 0-3 at half-time.
Five minutes into the second half Aidan Fegan increased St Colman’s lead with a point from play but they failed to score for the next 18 minutes as Maghera turned the game on its head.
The final eight minutes saw St Colman’s come storming back.
Aidan Fegan, from a free, and Gary Digney had the sides level with four minutes left for play. A minute later a disputed free for the champions saw Aidan Fegan send over the winning point. I
St Colman’s, Newry: P Cunningham, N Doyle, C Murtagh, N Byrne, D Murray, B Kearney, P McGivern, L Doyle (0-1), D McGovern, P Hynes (0- 1), G Digney (0-1), S Allen, J Cowan, A Fegan (0-6), C Byrne.
St Patrick’s, Maghera: C McKee, M McGeehan, L Diamond, F McEldowney, S McKenna, M O’Kane, P O’Kane, J Kelly, F Doherty, N McPeake (0-1), J O’Kane, G McMaster (0- 1), P Bradley (0-3), C O’Neill (1- 0), B McGuigan.
Sub: P McKenna for J O’Kane.
Referee: G Lynch (Fermanagh)
