SIGERSON CUP SEMI-FINAL UUJ 0-12 NUI Maynooth 0-10:UUJ STRUGGLED to shrug off a dogged NUI Maynooth in Belfield yesterday.
John Divilly’s Maynooth revelled in their role of David against Goliath against a UUJ side that had looked in a different class when they ousted Carlow IT in the quarter-finals.
When it came to the crunch, Adrian McGuckian’s UUJ had a match winner in Tyrone forward Matthew Donnelly who repeatedly broke the deadlock and hauled a sluggish Jordanstown into the final.
A member of the All-Ireland-winning Tyrone minor team of 2008, full forward Donnelly scored five fine points from play.
Maynooth had raced into a three-point lead. Laois centre forward Paul Cahillane was playmaker-in-chief while midfielder Colm Brophy was also inspirational.
UUJ were devastating making up lost ground with Diarmuid McNulty covering acres and Niall Holly and Colm Murney were a big physical presence in midfield.
Donnelly and Conor McManus helped them to a 0-8 to 0-5 lead.
But UUJ failed to drive on from there. Poor finishing, and a committed NUIM, refused to let them build up a big lead.
UUJ: G Kelly; G McCartan, B Donaghy, C Galligan; D Mone, D Morgan, C McGinley (0-1); C Murney, N Holly; D McNulty (0-2), C O'Boyle (0-2), P Hughes; J McAnulla, M Donnelly (0-5), C McManus (0-2). Subs: K Dyas for Hughes, J O'Neill for McAnulla (both 55 mins), C Donnelly for McGinley (59 mins).
NUI MAYNOOTH: S Connolly; C Freeman, D Booth, T Gallagher; P Ó Conghaile (0-1), D Quinn, K O'Brien; C Brophy (0-1), C Berrigan (0-1); M Hanratty, P Cahillane (0-2f), N Murphy (0-1); F Barry, G McIntyre, D Quinn (0-4f). Subs: W Ryan for Ó Conghaile (18 mins), T Johnson for Gallagher (48 mins), C Mallon for Barry (54 mins).
Referee: Con Reynolds(Down).
