SIGERSON CUP/Quarter Finals: Sigerson Cup holders Sligo IT bowed out of the competition after losing a marathon quarter-final by the minimum margin, 0-13 to 1-9, to NUI Maynooth in Cork yesterday.
Maynooth needed two periods of extra-time to see off the champions and their reward is a semi-final meeting today with NUI, Galway, who knocked out the hosts, UCC, 3-8 to 1-10.
UUJ also needed extra-time to get the better of St Mary's, Belfast, scraping home by a point, 2-11 to 1-13, to set up a mouth-watering semi-final against UCD, who defeated QUB 1-10 to 1-7.
Maynooth's joy at dethroning the champions was diluted by the twin dismissals of Graham Norton and Rory Kavanagh, both of whom will miss the semi-final as a result.
The game was tight all the way through. The sides were level, 0-4 apiece, at half-time and 0-8 each at the end of normal time, but a Sligo goal 20 seconds into extra-time suggested the pendulum had swung their way. Christy Toye created the opening with a strong run before passing to the unmarked Nicky Joyce, who fisted home.
The accuracy of Tadhg Brosnan from frees kept Maynooth in touch and the teams couldn't be separated at the end of the additional 20 minutes, tied at 1-9 to 0-12. Two more periods of five minutes each were called and, with fatigue setting in, it was no surprise that just one score materialised.
Declan Lally found the range with a well-struck point to edge Maynooth in front. Sligo scorned a late chance with Toye's weak effort falling short to relinquish their hold on the cup.
NUI, Galway needed no such drama in securing their semi-final spot. Despite playing against the strong wind, goals by Colm McFadden and a gem from Michéal Meehan helped them to a 2-4 to 1-4 interval lead after UCC shot 10 wides.
Billy Sheehan gave them a lifeline with a goal on the stroke of half-time, but a third Galway goal from Rory Donnelly four minutes into the second-half opened up a six-point gap. This seemed to spark UCC into greater effort for they scored 0-5 without reply to make it a one-point game approaching the end, only for Galway to pull away once more with three points in injury-time.
Galway's victory was achieved at a price, however, as Westmeath's Dessie Dolan limped off with an ankle injury early in the game and is considered a major doubt for the semi-final.
Jordanstown had to summon all their battling qualities against St Mary's. A lucky Martin O'Rourke goal seconds into the second-half of extra-time opened up a 2-10 to 1-9 lead.
A Michael Walsh free moments later stretched their advantage and it looked all over for St Mary's. They weren't finished though. Three Mark Harte points and another from late substitute Ronan Clarke forced Jordanstown to sweat it out before the final whistle ended St Mary's gallant effort.
UCD pulled away from Queens with a blistering three-point spree in 90 seconds in the final quarter - Darren McGee, Ger Hanley and Alan Brogan supplied the scores.
UCD led 1-5 to 0-2 at the interval, the goal coming from left-corner back Paul Griffin on the call of half-time. Queens restored equality by the 46th minute after Kevin McGroarty claimed a goal, followed shortly by a Derek Clarkin point before UCD upped a couple of gears.
NUI Galway 3-8 UCC 1-10
NUIG: D Morris; Monahan, R Murray, D Blake; D Costello, J Donoghue, K O'Neill; B Cullinane, R Colleran; B Colleran, M Clancy (0-1), R Donnelly (1-0); M Meehan (1-3), D Dolan (0-1), C McFadden (1-1). Subs: M Keane, M O'Dwyer (0-1) each.
UCC: C Kelleher; E Wiseman, K O'Connor, S O'Brien; D O'Sullivan, N O'Donovan, T Kenny; K O'Keefe, K McMahon; D Walsh, P Galvin, B Sheehan (1-2); W Morgan (0-2), C Brosnan (0-4), C McCarthy (0-1). Sub: C Murphy (0-1).
Sligo 1-9 NUI Maynooth 0-11
NUI MAYNOOTH: C Brennan; D Geraghty, M Ó Sé, M Falvey; G Norton, J Keane, C Moran; P Hurley (0-1), R Kavanagh; A Dillon (0-1), K Ennis, D Lally (0-3); R Monnelly (0-1), T Brosnan (0-7), B Moran.
SLIGO IT: P Durcan; A Higgins, P Kelly, J Jordan; B Dunnion, E Magee, K Cassidy; B Boyle (0-1), P Brady; M Moyles, P Finlay (0-6), C Toye; M Breheny, N Joyce (1-1), B Moloney (0-1).
UUJ 2-11 St Mary's 1-13
UUJ: R Gallagher; T Earley, G O'Reilly, M Anderson; C McGinley, P O'Kane, L Doyle; P Rouse (0-1), P Loughran; E McGinley (1-1), M Walsh (0-6), S Caughan (0-1); P Bradley (0-1), M O'Rourke (1-1), K Madden.
ST MARY'S: S Featherstone; F Donnelly, C O'Hare, S Lennon; D Harte, B Murphy, K Beggan; D Golden, L O'Hare; L Meehan, M Harte (1-10), C McElroy; M Donnelly (0-1), A McCarrin, K Corry. Subs: T O'Neill, R Clarke (0-1) each.
UCD 1-10 QUB 1-7
UCD: G McGill; D O'Donoghue, C Evans, P Griffin (1-0); S Lucey (0-1), D Donegan, B Ó hAnnaidh; D McGee (0-1), D O'Connor (0-1); G Hanley (0-2), C Murphy, L ÓhEinneachain; A Brogan (0-3), R Flanagan (0-1), P Lawless (0-1).
QUB: W McSorley; K McElvennah, M Gill, C Rafter; J Clarke, E Devine, J Kelly; D Clarkin (0-1), M McGrath; P McKeever (0-1), BJ Padden (0-1), C Dunne (0-1); K Oakes (0-2), K McGroarty (1-0), K O'Reilly (0-1).
TODAY'S FIXTURES: Semi-finals: NUI Galway v NUI Maynooth, Mardyke, 1.0 p.m.; UUL v UCD, Ballincollig 3.0 p.m.
