Sigerson Cup final: St Mary’s University, Belfast 0-13 University College Dublin 2-6

Paddy Tally's St Mary's Belfast squad were celebrating in style after defeating the reigning Sigerson Cup champions University College Dublin (UCD) by a single point, 0-13 to 2-6. in a final thriller in Bekan, county Mayo.

UCD hammered home two goals in the first five minutes to stun the Belfast side but it was St Mary's who led at the break, hitting nine unanswered points.

Despite intense UCD pressure in the second-half, Tally's troops recorded a famous final victory and brought back the trophy to their Falls Road base for the first time since 1989.

St Mary's Conor Meyler speaking to TG4 after the game said: "We spoke about this thing of a small college not being able to compete. 850 students, 200-odd lads, we were definitely fighting against the odds. But if you kick a dog often enough it will bite back. This is a special bunch of lads."

"Whenever we went six points down we knew there was still something there. We never seem to make it easy on ourselves - where's the fun in that?"

St Mary's, Belfast: M Reid; R Mooney, A McKay, K Mallon; C Byrne, C Mac Iomhar, C Meyler (0-1); C McCann (0-2), O O’Neill (0-4, 0-3f); C Corrigan (0-1), K McGeary (0-2, 0-1f), S McConville; K McKernan, M Fitzpatrick, C McShane (0-2).
Subs: C Quinn (0-1) for McConville (45), Hannigan for Mallon (63).

University College Dublin: C Honan; M Fitzsimons, R McDaid, E Murchan; C Mullally, S Coen, J McCaffrey; B O’Sullivan, J Barry; C McCarthy (0-2, 0-1f), A McDonnell, E Wallace (0-1); P Mannion (0-1), C Basquel (2-1), B McGinn (0-1).
Subs: L Casey for McDonnell (30), T Hayes for Mannion (56), L Moran for O’Sullivan (58, black).

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)