Sigerson Cup Semi-final/Sligo IT 0-12 Cork IT 0-8: For long periods of yesterday's opening Sigerson Cup semi-final it appeared quality was to be no substitute for quantity.
While Sligo IT were clearly enjoying the greater spread of talented players, they found themselves up against a Cork IT team with drive and determination in far greater abundance.
In the end quality did prevail, but not before the Sligo IT players finally got their blood running and put over the sort of scores that will make them favourites to win this afternoon's final. But they'll head to Corrigan Park knowing that only a much improved performance will see them return home with the silverware they claimed two years ago.
Part of their slack display here can be put down to the freezing temperatures, made worse by the full northern exposure of Rossa Park. One linesman said that it had been the coldest few days in Belfast in 19 years, and it didn't feel so cold then.
Nor were Sligo helped in the first half when they were also quite visibly playing against an uphill gradient, and that seemed to help Cork settle. Yet within minutes they were ruing their missed chances when Kerry's Brian Sheehan sent a penalty spiralling wide. Still they stayed competitive until the break, never allowing Sligo to get more than three points clear.
Galway's Nicholas Joyce and Monaghan's Paul Finlay, however, were keeping the Sligo score ticking over at a greater pace, and their 0-5 to 0-2 lead at half time wasn't totally undeserved.
Yet Cork lifted themselves admirably in the second half, closing the gap to the minimum after Sheehan got his free-taking in order, and DJ Fleming made better use of their hard-earned possession. So three-quarters way through they were down 0-7 to 0-6, with both the hunger and will to keep themselves in contention.
Gradually, however, Sligo let their class shine through. Joyce sent over a powerful point on 48 minutes and Christy Toye of Donegal was getting himself into far more constructive positions. With Donegal team-mate Kevin Cassidy also the class act in the defence, the western students had found their edge, and they weren't about to surrender it.
Joyce, Toye and Finlay ultimately saw them through with the three final points of the game, and although beaten, Cork IT had done themselves proud in what was a rare visit to this stage of the competition.
SLIGO IT: P Durcan; A Higgins, E McGee, N McGee; B Dunnion, S Grimes, K Cassidy; P Harte, M Moyles; C Toye (0-1), P Finlay (0-4, frees), A Moran; J Davey, N Joyce (0-5, three frees), A O'Malley (0-1). Subs: P Kelly for Dunnion (half-time), D Ward (0-1) for Moran (40 mins), B Maloney for Davey (47 mins).
CORK IT: K Murphy; M Prout, R Mageen, P Sheehan; A Sheehy, P Nealon, E O'Connor; M Kelleher, N O'Riordan; D O'Connor, R Keane, J Gardiner; A Morgan, B Sheehan (0-4, frees), DJ Fleming (0-2). Subs: D Breen (0-1, free) for Kelleher (15 mins), V Hurley (0-1) for Morgan (40 mins), S Walsh for O'Connor (56 mins).
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan)
