Updated 19.55pm
UCD, UL AND IT Carlow all booked their spots in this year’s Sigerson Cup quarter-finals with victories in today’s opening round games.
UCD, last year’s semi-finalists, progressed to a last eight tie at home to GMIT next Thursday. They were too strong today for Athlone IT in Belfield as they ran out eight-point winners.
Meanwhile IT Carlow enjoyed a successful trip to the Kingdom as they ran out three-point winners over IT Tralee by 0-10 to 0-7. Now IT Carlow will take on UL, narrow victors by 0-6 to 0-5 against Maynooth University this evening in Maynooth.
UCD 0-15
Athlone IT 0-7
For the second successive year, UCD saw Athlone IT in the Sigerson Cup with 0-8 from Westmeath ace John Heslin proving crucial to their victory this afternoon in Belfield.
The winners were in front 0-8 to 0-1 at the break after sprinting into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after the opening quarter. Dublin duo Ryan Basquel and Jack McCaffrey both chipped in to help Heslin in the scoring stakes.
Although Westmeath’s Ger Egan tried to keep Athlone IT in touch in the second-half, UCD did enough to go forward to the quarter-final stage next week.
Scorers for UCD: John Heslin 0-8 (0-4f), Ryan Basquel, Jack McCaffrey 0-2 each, Seán O’Dea, Paraic Harnan, Brian Fenton 0-1 each.Scorers for Athlone IT: Ger Egan 0-4 (0-3f), Dan Queeney, Kieran Martin, Michael Day 0-1 each.
UCD
Eoghan Keogh (Laois)
Ryan Wylie (Monaghan)
Davey Byrne (Dublin)
Martin Cahalane (Dublin)
Paraic Harnan (Meath)
Conor Mullally (Dublin)
Seán O’Dea (Limerick)
Matthew O’Hanlon (Wexford)
Jack Barry (Kerry)
Brian Fenton (Dublin)
Niall Kelly (Kildare)
Jack McCaffrey (Dublin)
Ryan Basquel (Dublin)
John Heslin (Westmeath)
Eoghan Nolan (Wexford)
Subs
Robert Carr (Louth) for Barry
Ciarán Lenehan (Meath) for Nolan
Conor Sheridan (Meath) for Fenton
Paddy Reilly (Louth) for Kelly
Eoin Lowry (Laois) for Basquel
Athlone IT
Mark Langtry (Offaly)
Eoin Kerins (Galway)
Stephen Flynn
Darren Farley (Longford)
James Dolan (Westmeath)
Kieran Martin (Westmeath)
Jack Donoghue (Westmeath)
Michael Day (Galway)
Colm O’Brien (Galway)
Alan Coffey (Westmeath)
Ger Egan (Westmeath)
David Whelan (Westmeath)
Cillian Fitzgerald (Limerick)
Dan Queeney (Meath)
Kieran Kilcline (Roscommon)
Subs
Dan Wharton (Cavan) for Whelan
Anton Sullivan (Offaly) for O’Brien
Jack Wharton (Cavan) for Fitzgerald
Referee: John Hickey (Carlow)
*********
IT Carlow 0-10
IT Tralee 0-7
Despite the loss of Brendan Murphy through injury, IT Carlow still came away with the spoils from their outing to Tralee this afternoon.
IT Tralee were also short players with All-Ireland club commitments ruling out Denis McElligott and Ciaran O’Connell (Austin Stacks), Mike Finnegan (Brosna) and Darren Wallace (Ardfert).
The teams were level at 0-4 apiece at the break with IT Carlow’s Liam Boland and IT Tralee’s Jack Savage trading scores. Tipperary forward Boland proved key for his side along with Galway’s Barry McHugh while Savage was the only Tralee player to score on the day.
The teams were locked together at 0-7 apiece with 12 minutes left but points from Tom Shiels, Eoin Lynch and Boland saw IT Tralee pull clear to triumph.
Scorers for IT Carlow: Liam Boland 0-5 (0-2f), Barry McHugh 0-3 (0-2f), Eoin Lynch, Tom Shiels 0-1 each.Scorers for IT Tralee: Jack Savage 0-7 (0-4f).
IT Carlow
Shane Murphy (Kilcummin, Kerry)
Thomas O Connell (Rathanagan, Kildare)
Conor Lawlor (Palatine, Carlow)
Declan Smyth (Dunsany, Meath)
Eoin Lynch (Longwood, Meath)
Thomas Featherson (Oran, Roscommon)
Eoin Walsh (Moycullen, Galway)
Anthony Dever (Lahardane, Mayo)
Mark Sherry (Two Mile House, Kildare)
Kevin Ryan (Summerhill, Meath)
Anthony Forde (Moynalvey, Meath)
Will Young (Clonaslee, Laois)
Liam Boland (Moyle Rovers, Tipperary)
Tom Shiels (Stradbally, Laois)
Barry McHugh (Mountbellew/Moylough, Galway)
Subs
Kevin Mulvany (Ramor, Cavan) for Dever (50)
Mark Russell (Lattin Cullen, Tipperary) for Shiels (58)
Referee: Michael Collins (Cork)
IT Tralee
Shane Kenny (Castlegregory, Kerry)
Mark Egan (Dr Crokes, Kerry)
Jason Lyne (Dr Crokes, Kerry)
Sean Flynn (Buttevant, Cork)
Gavin Crowley (Templenoe, Kerry)
Cian Horan (Glenflesk, Kerry)
Cillian Cromwell (Monaghan)
George Bastible (John Mitchels, Kerry)
Paul McMahon (St Pat’s, Kerry)
Peter Nash (Kildimo/Pallaskenry, Limerick)
Jack Savage (Kerins O’Rahilly’s, Kerry)
Alan Duggan (Austin Stacks, Kerry)
Gavin O’Shea (Dr Crokes, Kerry)
Conor Keane (Legion, Kerry)
Padraig O’Shea (Currow, Kerry)
Subs
Darren Wallace (Ardfert, Kerry) for O Shea (B/C 13)
Kieran Mulvihill (Ballylongford, Kerry) for Duggan (47)
Liam O Sullivan (St Pats, Kerry) for McMahon (47)
Padraig Quille (St Senan’s, Kerry) for Bastible (54)
*******
UL 0-6
Maynooth University 0-5
Donegal’s Daniel McLoughlin struck the 53rd minute match winner as UL stole an unlikely Sigerson Cup victory in Maynooth tonight.
Liam Kearns’ side arrived as underdogs and never actually led in the game until McLoughlin split the posts from around 30 metres out. It settled a low scoring, dour contest played in freezing conditions though Maynooth will kick themselves for not securing victory.
They shot 15 wides in total and had a late chance to level it but Neil Flynn’s injury-time free landed just short and full-time sounded. UL’s reward is a quarter-final clash with IT Carlow next week.
The sides were level at 0-2 apiece at half-time though Maynooth kicked nine wides in the half. They forged 0-4 to 0-2 but UL points from Gearoid Hegarty, Niall McDermott, Eoin Carroll and that McLoughlin winner edged them to victory.
Scorers for UL: Niall McDermott 0-2 (0-2f), Aidan Rowan, Gearoid Hegarty, Eoin Carroll, Daniel McLoughlin 0-1 eachScorers for Maynooth University: Ronan Kennedy 0-2 (0-2f), Eric Lowndes, Niall Flynn (0-1f), Fergal Flanagan 0-1 each.
UL
1. Ruairi Lavelle (Renvyle, Galway)
2. Eamon Kiely (Brosna, Kerry)
3. Cathal Long (Dingle, Kerry)
4. Fergal Boland (Aghamore, Mayo)
5. Aidan Rowan (Cashel, Longford)
6. Denis Daly (St Mary’s, Kerry)
7. David Larkin (Horeswood, Wexford)
8. Conor McNamee (Rhode, Offaly)
9. Eoin Carroll (Cappincur, Offaly)
10. Cian Sheehan (Newcastlewest, Limerick)
11. Niall McDermott (Ballinagh, Cavan)
12. Shane Killoran (Elphin, Roscommon)
13. Antoine McFadden (St Michael’s, Donegal)
14. Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s, Limerick)
15. Daniel McLoughlin (St Michael’s, Donegal)
Subs
17. Craig O’Brien (Wolfe Tones, Clare) for Killoran (47 mins)
20. Bryan O’Shea (Dr Crokes, Kerry) for McNamee (58 mins)
Maynooth University
1. Graham Brody (Portlaoise, Laois)
2. Conor Carton (Donaghmore-Ashbourne, Meath)
3. Padraig Faulkner (Kingscourt, Cavan)
4. Niall Lenihan (Skryne, Meath)
5. Eric Lowndes (St Peregrine’s, Dublin)
6. Fergal Flanagan (Kingscourt, Cavan)
7. David Duke (Kilcock, Kildare)
8. Davy Hyland (Athy, Kildare)
9. George Hannigan (Shannon Rovers, Tipperary)
10. Jamie Gonoud (Tyrellspass, Westmeath)
11. Fergal Conway (Celbridge, Kildare)
12. Killian Mulhall (Athy, Kildare)
13. Neil Flynn (Maynooth, Kildare)
14. Ronan Kennedy (Mohill, Leitrim)
15. Barry Dardis (Summerhill, Meath)
Subs
20. Paul Cribbin (Johnstownbridge, Kildare) for Dardis (41)
33. Eamon Wallace (Ratoath, Meath) for Duke (49)
18. Ryan McEnaney (Carrickmacross, Monaghan) for Cribbin (Black card, 53 mins)
Referee: Damien Maher (Westmeath)
First thing I’ll do is have a pint, then I’ll consider this information you’ve presented.
Wait till January and February is over then take on the 8 stages.
After reading this it’s helped me make up my mind.. 2018 looks like a good year to start ! More Cake anyone ?