John Heslin and Jack McCaffrey inspire UCD

UCD 0-15 ATHLONE IT 0-7

UCD did most of the damage in the first half at Belfield as they overcame Athlone IT in the Sigerson Cup first round.

The away side found John Heslin and Jack McCaffrey too much to handle as the duo kicked 10 points of their side's total.

Athlone were left to reflect on three wasted goal opportunities but UCD gave the impression they could have found another couple of gears had they needed to.

Westmeath’s Heslin kicked eight points in total while Dublin star McCaffrey, who started at centre forward, contributed two points and his typically direct runs caused Athlone all manner of problems.

UCD were five points up before another Westmeath man, Ger Egan, scored the first of his four points on 16 minutes but the home side went in 0-8 0-1 up at the break and never looked like relinquishing the lead in the second period.

Two long-range points from Kieran Martin and Michael Day reduced the deficit to seven points and a little more composure and a bit more luck when Day's shot cannoned back off the crossbar might have made it a closer contest.

UCD: E Keogh; R Wylie, D Byrne, M O'Cathalain; P Harnan (0-1), C Mullaly, S O'Dea (0-1); M O'Hanlon, J Barry; B Fenton (0-1), J McCaffrey (0-2), E Nolan; R Basquel (0-1), J Heslin (0-8, five frees), N Kelly .

Subs: R Carr (0-1) for Barry (20 mins), C Lenehan for Nolan (45 mins), C Sheridan for Kelly, P Reilly for Fenton (both 54 mins), E Lowery for Basquel (57 mins).

ATHLONE IT: M Langtry; E Kerins, S Flynn, D Farley; J Donoghue, K Martin (0-1), J Dolan; M Day (0-1), C O'Brien; D Whelan, G Egan (0-4, three frees), K Kilcline; C Fitzgerald, D Queeney (0-1), A Coffey.

Subs: A Sullivan for O'Brien (half-time), D Wharton for Whelan (45 mins), J Wharton for Fitzgerald (59 mins).

Referee: John Hickey (Carlow)

IT TRALEE 0-7 IT CARLOW 0-10

IT Tralee are still searching for their first Sigerson Cup win since 2008 as their rather depleted looking side appeared to run out of steam late on, and IT Carlow finished with three unanswered points to escape to victory in this competitive second-round clash at IT Tralee Grounds.

IT Tralee will point to the fact that they were forced to line out without several regulars including players from All-Ireland sides, Stacks, Ardfert and Brosna. Carlow were also dealt a massive body blow when star midfield Brendan Murphy fractured a bone in his foot on Sunday playing against Antrim.

Tralee made the better start and led for the most of the first half, as Carlow played with 13 behind the ball. That meant the Kerry side found it hard to get any primary possession in their inside line, where Conor Keane and Gavin O'Shea were well shackled by Anthony Forde, Conor Lawlor and Declan Smyth.

Tralee were totally reliant on Jack Savage for scores up front , as he scored all of their 0-4 in the opening half, but Tipp's Liam Boland was a constant threat for Carlow, while two late Barry McHugh points hurt Tralee as the sides were tied at 0-4 each at half time.

Tralee's Mark Egan, Seán Flynn, Cian Horan and the magnificent Gavin Crowley made sure that the Carlow dangermen any space, with the result that midway through the second half, Tralee led 0-7 to 0-6, thanks to three more Savage points, two from frees.

But IT Tralee never scored in the final quarter, as they appeared to run out of steam, gave away some soft frees. Carlow levelled in the 48th minute with a McHugh free, and three points in the final five minutes, from Tom Shiels, Eoin Lynch and Boland (free) saw IT Carlow qualify for the next round.

IT TRALEE: S Kenny ; M Egan , J Lyne , S Flynn; G Crowley, C Horan, C Cromwell; G Bastible , P McMahon ; P Nash , J Savage (0-7, 0-4 frees), A Duggan; G O'Shea, C Keane, P O'Shea.

Subs: D Wallace for O'Shea (BC 13 mins), K Mulvihill for Duggan (47 mins), L O'Sullivan for P McMahon (47 mins), P Quille for Bastible (54 mins)

IT CARLOW: S Murphy; T O Connell, C Lawlor, D Smyth; E Lynch (0-1), T Featherson, E Walsh; A Dever , M Sherry; K Ryan, A Forde, W Young; W Boland (0-4, one free), T Shiels (0-1), B McHugh (0-4, three frees).

Subs: K Mulvany for Dever (50 mins), M Russell for Shiels (58 mins). Referee: M Collins (Cork).

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK 0-6 MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY 0-5

Rising Donegal star Daniel McLoughlin kicked a dramatic late winner to book UL’s Sigerson Cup quarter-final place.

The corner forward, who appeared as a sub for Donegal in the Allianz League last weekend, secured victory with a 53rd-minute point.

It was the only time underdogs UL led in the entire game against a Maynooth side that kicked away any hopes of progressing with 15 wides.

The reward for Liam Kearns’s side for victory in freezing conditions is a quarter-final clash with IT Carlow next Thursday at home.

But Maynooth will be frustrated at their wasteful play with nine first-half wides as the sides went in level on 0-2 apiece.

In a low-scoring contest, Maynooth finally moved 0-4 to 0-2 ahead thanks to Fergal Flanagan and Ronan Kennedy points. But four UL points in the last 20 minutes from Gearoid Hegarty, Niall McDermott, Eoin Carroll and McLoughlin stole victory.

UL: R Lavelle; E Kiely, C Long, F Boland; A Rowan (0-1), D Daly, D Larkin; C McNamee, E Carroll (0-1); C Sheehan, N McDermott (0-2, two frees), S Killoran; A McFadden, G Hegarty (0-1), D McLoughlin (0-1).

Subs: C O'Brien for Killoran (47 mins), B O'Shea for McNamee (58 mins).

MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY: G Brody; C Carton, P Faulkner, N Lenihan; E Lowndes (0-1), F Flangan (0-1), D Duke; D Hyland, G Hannigan; J Gonoud, F Conway, K Mullhall; N Flynn (0-1, one free), R Kennedy (0-2, two frees), B Dardis.

Subs: P Cribbin for Dardis (41 mins), E Wallace for Duke (49 mins), R McEneaney for Cribbin (black card, 53 mins).

Referee: D Maher (Westmeath).