Sport

Maynooth hold off late surge to reach last four

SIGERSON CUP NUI Maynooth 2-8 UCD 1-8: NUI MAYNOOTH held off a late challenge from 14-man UCD to forge a deserved victory in…

Fri Feb 17 2012 - 00:00

SIGERSON CUP NUI Maynooth 2-8 UCD 1-8:NUI MAYNOOTH held off a late challenge from 14-man UCD to forge a deserved victory in last night's floodlit Sigerson Cup quarter-final in Maynooth.

The hosts led at the interval by two points, 1-3 to 0-4, courtesy of a clinically-finished goal by the eye-catching Michael Newman, but the game really heated up after resumption.

One of the game’s most significant moments arrived in the 37th minute, when Colm Murphy received a red card for lashing out at man-of-the-match Tommy Moolick.

Maynooth dominated the next 10 minutes or so, making very clever use of their numerical advantage by retaining possession, drawing an opponent and laying off to a willing runner.

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Niall Murray and Newman exchanged points before a well-worked one-two between Moolick and Newman ended with the Kildare man rocketing a shot to the roof of the UCD net.

Moolick was fouled on the edge of UCD’s square soon afterwards and Paul Cahillane popped over the resulting free. A fantastic point from David Quinn pushed Maynooth eight points clear and a cruise to victory looked inevitable.

UCD had a different idea, though, and a low finish to the Maynooth net by substitute David Larkin, after an intricate passing movement six minutes from time.

Suddenly, Dave Billings’ men were galvanised and thanks to gaining an upper hand around midfield, poured forward with tremendous spirit.

Niall Murray and Alan Giles (free) reduced the margin further. Murray then converted a 45 but time ran out on UCD and Maynooth progressed to a semi-final against UCC.

NUIM: S Connolly (Kildare); K O'Brien (Kildare), K Lynch (Meath), D Dalton (Meath); T Moolick 1-1 (Kildare), J McDermott (Dublin), S Denvir 0-1 (Galway); C Berrigan (Meath), C Brophy (Kildare); J Califf 0-2 (one free) (Louth), S Hurley (Kildare), C Mullins 0-1 (Dublin); M Newman 1-1 (Meath), P Cahillane 0-1 (Laois), D Quinn 0-1 (Dublin). Subs: S Fahey (Kildare) for Hurley inj (13); G McIntyre (Dublin) for Berrigan (40); A Walsh (Kerry) for Mullins (44); S O'Hanlon (Louth) for Quinn (53).

UCD: M McGinley (Donegal); M Furlong (Wexford), J Hayes (Cavan), C Forde (Galway); C Barrett (Mayo), Rory O'Carroll (Dublin), S Redmond (Carlow); M Coughlan (Dublin), C Murphy (Dublin); C Dias (Dublin), L Smith (Westmeath), C Carthy (Wexford); N Kilroy 0-2(1f) (Roscommon), D Kingston 0-1 (Laois), A Giles 0-1 (Westmeath). Subs: M O'Regan 0-1 (Wexford) for Smith (19); N Murray 0-3(1 45) for Carthy (37); M O'Hanlon (Wexford) for Kingston (44); M Duffy (Monaghan) for Barrett; D Larkin 1-0 (Meath) for Kilroy (51).

Referee: D Fahy(Longford)