CONNACHT COLLEGES SF A QUARTER FINAL: St Gerald's (Castlebar) 1-17 St Muredach's (Ballina) 1-5An emphatic win by St Gerald's has set up an all-Mayo Connacht Colleges Senior A semi-final against St Colman's of Claremorris.
The Castlebar students were always in command of this tie at the Centre of Excellence, Bekan, yesterday, establishing an 0-11 to 1-0 lead at the interval, Matthew Cullen getting the goal and Ballina's only score for that first half.
However, it was the point-scoring of brothers Patrick and James Durcan, along with Ronan Carolan and Michael Plunkett, who used the wind effectively, which set St Gerald's on their way with ease.
Seán Regan clipped a few points off the lead in the second half but St Gerald's, always the superior force in most facets of the match, topped up their lead with scores from James Durcan, Carolan and substitute Jamie Lydon, before the latter's goal effort was saved by the goalkeeper but finished to the net by Murphy four minutes from time.
ST GERALD'S:D McHale; K Egan, M McHugh (0-1), K McNally; P Durcan (0-2), M Hall, C Dravins; M Ruane, R Coleman; S Conlon (0-1), M Plunkett (0-2), J Gannon (0-1); R Carolan (0-4), A Murphy (1-0), J Durcan (0-5, 0-1 free). Subs: E Regan for Coleman, J Lydon (0-1) for J Durcan, S Kelly for Dravins, P Ruddy for Gannon, D Gibbons for Carolan.
ST MUREDACH'S:R O'Hora, C Naylor, B Walkin, L Hogan, P McGarry, R Geraghty, P Judge, R Upton, C Bourke, O Kent, S Regan (0-5, 0-4 frees), D Gibbons, S Ruttledge, M Cullen (1-0) , B Keane. Subs: A Melvin for Hogan, K Treacy for Cullen, F Tully for Gibbons.
Referee: P Geraghty (Swinford).
