DCU are aiming to reach a third successive Sigerson Cup final this year. PressEye / Jonathan Porter/INPHO PressEye / Jonathan Porter/INPHO / Jonathan Porter/INPHO

DCU 3-10
Queen’s University 0-3

Orla Bannon reports from The Dub, Belfast

DCU THRASHED QUEEN’S University with three second-half goals in Belfast easing them through to the quarter-finals of the Sigerson Cup.

The 2015 champions, chasing a place in the final for the third year in a row, had little trouble seeing off the home side with goals from Ryan Burns, Niall Murphy and Enda Smith.

DCU led 0-6 to 0-2 at half-time having played into the wind at the Dub. Queen’s scored the first and last points of the half through Sean Fox and Marty O’Reilly but in between, DCU hit six-in-a-row with Mayo’s Diarmuid O’Connor cutting across the ball to score a memorable long-range point into the breeze.

Burns’ opening goal in the 39th minute was awarded after the referee checked with the umpire if his low shot had crossed the line.

Queen’s, who had Anthony Doherty and Ciaran O’Hanlon black-carded in each half, went for broke and pushed up, leaving huge gaps at the back which DCU exploited.

They pounced for two goals inside a minute, first Niall Murphy skinned his man and controlled the finish mid-way through the second half.

Murphy’s lofted a pass over the top of a static home defence to Hugh McFadden, whose unselfish pass across the goal was palmed home by Roscommon sub Enda Smith.

Scorers for DCU: Niall Murphy 1-3 (3f), Ryan Burns 1-1, Enda Smith 1-0, B Kerr, H McFadden, D O’Connor, J Duncan, C Breheny, D Mannix 0-1 each

Scorers for Queen’s: S Fox, M O’Reilly, J Dowling 0-1 each

DCU

Shane Mannion (Roscommon)

Eoin Smith (Dublin)
Patrick Durcan (Mayo)
S Lavin (Meath)

B Kerry (Monaghan)
Kevin Feely (Kildare)
Sharoize Akram (Mayo)

Caolan McGonagle (Donegal)
Hugh McFadden (Donegal)

Diarmuid O’Connor (Mayo)
M Plunkett (Leitrim)
E O’Connor (Kerry)

J Durcan (Mayo)
N Murphy (Sligo)
R Burns (Louth)

Subs

E Smith (Roscommon) for Durcan (35)
C Breheny (Sligo) for O’Connor (42)
J McGuigan (Monaghan) for McGonagle (46)
T Lahiffe for O’Connor (47)
S Carthy (Dublin) for Murphy (52)
D Mannix (Kerry) for McFadden (55)

Queen’s University

J O’Hare (Down)

N Keenan (Derry)
A Rushe (Armagh)
R Wells (Down)

S Heffron (Armagh)
J McMahon (Fermanagh)
C Francis (Down)

A Doherty (Down)
D McKeever (Down)

C McCartan (Down)
M Clarke (Down)
C O’Hanlon (Armagh)

M O’Reilly (Donegal)
A McClements (Down)
S Fox (Tyrone)

Subs

J Dowling (Antrim) for Doherty (BC, 28)
C Donaghy (Tyrone) for Francis (HT)
C Harney (Down) for O’Hanlon (BC, 35)
G McCabe (Armagh) for McClements (42)
F Quinn (Armagh) for Fox (42)
A Fegan (Down) for Wells (49)

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)

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