Sigerson Cup roundup: Patrick McBrearty hits 1-6 for UUJ

UUJ 2-14 Garda College 0-11

Patrick McBrearty and Evan Regan scored goals in each half as University of Ulster Jordanstown, the 2016 Sigerson Cup hosts, made it through to the quarter-finals.

Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland winner McBrearty kicked a match-winning haul of 1-6, including 1-4 in a prolific opening 10 minute spell.

His sixth minute goal was the highlight, a lovely left-footed finish across the goalkeeper which helped the home side lead by 1-7 to 0-5 at the interval.

UUJ were down to 14 men after 24 minutes when Tyrone’s Rory Brennan picked up a straight red card from referee Padraig Hughes for striking Philip Smith. Carlow’s Brendan Murphy walked late on for Garda after picking up a black card to add to his earlier yellow.

Roscommon’s Colin Compton was Garda’s most dangerous forward. After defeating Cork IT last week, they struggled though to contain Jordanstown’s firepower with Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty in particular having a superb second half, scoring from play and dead balls into a strong wind.

Seven minutes after the restart, Tyrone ‘keeper Sean Fox saved a tamely-hit penalty from Garda’s Daithi Shannon after Compton was fouled.

Mayo’s Evan Regan was denied a certain goal after a brilliant flying block by Gearoid Farren early in the second half, but raised a green flag late on for UUJ, flicking home a 57th minute goal.

UUJ: S Fox (Tyrone); R Johnston (Antrim), K Clarke 0-1 (Cavan), R Brennan (Tyrone); R McHugh 0-1 (f) (Donegal), R McNamee (Tyrone), S Sheridan (Armagh); N McKeever (Antrim), M Argue 0-1 (Cavan); C Grugan 0-1 (Tyrone), E Rafferty 0-4 (1f, 1 '45') (Armagh), D Savage (Down); E Regan 1-0 (Mayo), R McAnespie (Monaghan), P McBrearty 1-6 (5f) (Donegal)

Subs: F Burns (Tyrone) for Savage (40), C Clarke (Down) for Rafferty (58), S McArdle (Down) for Argue (59)

Garda College: C Kenerick (Tipperary); G Farren (Donegal), G Petit (Roscommon), P Smith (Cavan); B Devlin (Louth), S O'Malley (Roscommon), BJ Molloy (Carlow); P McGee 0-1 (Donegal), C Shields 0-1 (Longford); P Morris (Cavan), B Murphy 0-1 (Carlow), B O'Hare (Louth); C Compton 0-3 (Roscommon), D Shannon 0-4 (4f) (Cork), G Haran 0-1 (f) (Mayo)

Subs: M Holland (Roscommon) for McCarthy (HT), J Kerrigan (Galway) for O’Hare (40), P Fallon (Roscommon) for Devlin (53), J Kearney (Galway) for Molloy (58)

Referee: Padraig Hughes (Armagh)

St Mary’s 1-11 DIT 2-6 (aet)

St Mary’s came from behind to score a Sigerson Cup win over DIT on Garvaghey’s 3G pitch.

Playing into a strong wind, the Dubliners grabbed first half goals through Mayo’s Liam Irwin and Emmet O Connaighle of Dublin to lead by 2-2 to 0-4 at the interval.

Peter Carragher’s 54th minute goal got the Ranch back into it, and another Armagh man, corner back Aaron McKay, scored in stoppage time to send the tie to extra-time.

And it was yet another Orchard saviour, substitute Jack Grugan, who came off the bench to land three long range frees which swung it for Paddy Tally’s side, who now face UUJ in a Belfast derby quarter-final.

St Mary's: R Burns, P McAleer, D McBride, A McKay (0-1), H Loughran (0-1), N McParland, C McCooey, B Og McGilligan (0-1), P Carragher (1-0), C McCann, K McGeary, K McKernan (0-1), D Kavanagh (0-1, f), M Fitzpatrick, N Toner (0-1).

Subs: R O’Neill (0-2, 1f) for McCooey, C Byrne for McBride, C Meyler for Toner, A Nugent for Kavanagh, A McGarrity for McCann, N McNicholl for McGilligan, McCooey for McAleer (BC), J Grugan (0-3, 3f) for McGarrity.

DIT: C Ferris, K O'Brien, N Collins, P Reilly, S Clayton, G Guilfoyle (0-1), C Boyle, E O Connaighle (1-0), D Nelson, R McGowan, E Flanagan, C Madden, L Irwin (1-1, 0-1f), T O'Connor, B McMahon (0-1).

Subs: C Grimes (0-1) for O Connaighle (BC), K O’Gara (0-2) for Madden, B Power for Flanagan, G Reilly for O’Connor, Shane Cunningham for P Reilly (BC), Madden for McGowan.

Referee: M McNally (Monaghan).

Univeristy College Cork 2-13 Galway/Mayo IT 2-8

UCC made light work of GMIT at a windswept Mardyke with a 2-13 to 2-8 win which was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

Two strong periods in the middle of each half saw last year’s beaten finalists open up their Sigerson Cup campaign with some ease despite their visitor’s late push.

Billy Morgan’s side seized the early advantage and built up a healthy lead early on, with the visitors struggling to unlock a miserly full-back line which restricted them to pot-shots from tight angles.

The hosts started to pull away around the 20th minute, as two goals in quick succession by Jordan Kiely and David Harrington left the Western outfit shell-shocked. It was simply too much for the visiting side, whose defence were struggling to cope with UCC’s direct play.

They did however get one back before the break, as Corrofin’s Martin Farragher beat his man to fist Andy Glennon’s ball into the back of the net.

It was but a slight inconvenience for UCC, who powered into the second-half with points from all angles to make their lead unassailable. Particularly impressive were Dr Crokes’ Jordan Kiely and midfielder Ian Maguire who was the lynchpin in a strong Mardyke outfit.

Val Daly’s men rallied late to score a couple of points before Jamie Downes seized on Farragher’s saved shot to hack home a second after an intricate handball move, but it was simply to cut the deficit as victory had already been sealed.

UCC: M Aodh Martin; C Hyde, J McGuire, K Fulignati; S White, B O'Driscoll, J Walsh; G O'Sullivan, I Maguire; K Davis, L Connolly, S Kiely; J Kiely (1-3), C Cox (0-4, 3f), D Harrington (1-3).

Subs: C Horgan (0-3, 2f) for Cox (33); J Davis for Hyde (53); I Galvin for Connolly (inj 56)

GMIT: C Nolan; C Reilly, A Farrell, J Kinahan; K Nally, P Holloway, J Downes (1-0); D Brennan (0-1), P Prendergast; A Molloy (0-1f), M Farragher (1-3, 2f), R Steede; A Glennon (0-3, 1f), M Farragher, J Donnellan.

Subs: H Boyle for Kinahan (23); M Shaughnessy for Brennan (39); M Mangan for Nally (39); A Meeneghan for Mike Farragher (56)

Referee: Barry Kelly (Clare)

University of Limerick 2-15 IT Tralee 2-8

University of Limerick will host Queen’s University in the quarter-finals of the Sigerson Cup next week after carving out a deserved success in difficult conditions.

A couple of heavy downpours made conditions difficult but both sides served up an entertaining contest on the 4G pitch at the Limerick campus.

UL always held and edge but it was only in the third quarter that they pulled away, with a goal from midfielder Conor Lowney helping IT Tralee turn around level at 1-6 to 0-9 at the interval.

Shane Killoran scored UL’s first goal after 44 minutes to lead by five points but Paudie Quill hit back immediately for Tralee.

Wing-back Fergal Boland scored three points for UL before picking up a black card but a goal from Bryan O’Shea saw them ease to victory, with Tralee losing centre-back Cian Horan to a red card in the closing moments.

University of Limerick: C O'Driscoll (Cork); D Larkin (Wexford), C Long (Kerry), P O'Connor (Kerry); A Rowan (Longford), E Kiely (Kerry), F Boland (Mayo) (0-3); G Hegarty (Limerick), R Deane (Cork) (0-1); D Neville (Limerick), S Killoran (Roscommon) (1-2), C O'Dea (Clare) (0-1); I Burke (Galway) (0-2), K Moore (Limerick) (0-3, 0-3f), B O'Shea (Kerry) (1-2).

Subs: L Boland (Tipperary) for Larkin (32 mins), J Naughton (Limerick) (0-1) for O’Dea (41 mins), S McAuliffe (Limerick) for F Boland (55 mins, black).

IT Tralee: B Galvin (Kerry); C Counihan (Kerry), E Hickson (Kerry), S Flynn (Cork); D McElligott (Kerry) (0-1), C Horan (Kerry), C Cromwell (Monaghan) (0-2); D Somers (Kerry), C Lowney (Cork) (1-0); A Moriarty (Kerry), G O'Shea (Kerry), C O'Driscoll (Cork) (0-2); V Hogan (Kerry), D Wallace (Kerry), P Quill (Kerry) (1-3, 0-2f).

Subs: A Duggan (Kerry) for Moriarty (30 mins), S Guthrie (Kerry) for Hogan (46 mins), C O’Connell (Kerry) for Wallace (51 mins), J Lyne (Kerry) for Cromwell (60 mins), P O’Shea (Kerry) for Lowney (60 mins).

Referee: Richard McNicholas (Galway).