Ulster University Jordanstown 1-13
IT Tralee 1-8

Murt Murphy reports from Tralee

FAVOURITES ULSTER UNIVERSITY were given a right scare by a battling IT Tralee side in this Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup round 1 game played at the John Mitchels grounds in Tralee today before they eventually came good in the final quarter.

IT Tralee, who had star forward David Clifford unable to line out, were excellent in the opening half with the wind to their backs.

They led 0-7 to 0-4 at the interval with Michael Potts doing well on the marauding Ryan McHugh. The Tralee defence backboned by Kerry senior panellist Gavin Crowley were hitting hard and up front Dara Moynihan and Mark O’Shea were catching the eye, with Jack Savage getting 0-4 from frees while O’Shea, Greg Horan and James Duggan kicked points from play.

Ulster University were playing a transition game, with Gareth McKinless, Lee Brennan and McHugh breaking quickly out of defence and Tyrone’s Dáire Gallagher with two from play and Lee Brennan with two frees, kept the Northern side in touch.

Things got rosier for Tralee early in second period when McKinless got the line with a second yellow in the 36th minute, but within a few minutes the game was turned on its head.

Tralee had a free in front of goal that would have seen them take a four-point lead but when a disagreement developed between players from both sides, it resulted in Tralee midfielder Greg Horan being shown a straight red and the free was lost.

This appeared to deflate Tralee who also had to withdraw Michael Potts, and Ulster University got on top with Tyrone’s Michael McKernan and Ryan McHugh taking over and Mayo’s Patrick Durcan punished Tralee with 1-2 in a ten minute spell that saw the visitors move 1-10 to 0-7 clear.

But Tralee refused to give up and they got their only point of the second half from Jack Savage in the 60th minute and this was quickly followed by a Mark O’Shea goal to reduce the deficit to just two points.

However Ulster University were the better side and using all their experience they closed the game out, with three unanswered points from Nathan Donnelly, Michael McEvoy and Durcan again to qualify for the quarter-finals on 6 February.

Scorers for University of Ulster: Patrick Durcan 1-3, Lee Brennan 0-4 (0-3f), Dáire Gallagher, Michael McEvoy 0-2 each, Nathan Donnelly, Daniel Kerr 0-1 each.

Scorers for IT Tralee: Jack Savage 0-5 (0-5f), Mark O’Shea (1-1), Greg Horan, James Duggan 0-1 each.

University of Ulster Jordanstown

1. Brendan Gallen ( Tyrone)

15. Jason Duffy (Armagh)
4. Michael McKernan (Tyrone)
7. Karl McKaigue (Derry)

2. Michael McEvoy (Derry)
6. Gareth McKinless (Derry)
9. Patrick Durcan (Mayo)

20. Ben McDonnell (Tyrone)
17. Steven Fegan (Down)

10. Ryan McHugh (Donegal)
14. Jack Doherty (Derry)
12. Dáire Gallagher (Tyrone)

13. Lee Brennan (Tyrone)
8. Terrence O’Brien (Derry)
19. Ceilum Doherty (Down)

Subs

Daniel Kerr (Tyrone) for Gallagher (46)
Frank Burns (Tyrone) for Jack Doherty (58)
Nathan Donnelly (Tyrone) for Ceilum Doherty (59)
Eoghain Murray (Tyrone) for Duffy (60)

IT Tralee

1. Conor Hurley (Kerry)

2. Thomas Kearns (Wicklow)
3. Gavin Crowley (Kerry)
4. Brian Fitzgerald (Kerry)

5. DJ Murphy (Kerry)
6. Jack Morgan (Kerry)
7. Michael Potts (Kerry)

8. Liam Kearney (Kerry)
9. Greg Horan (Kerry)

10. Dara Moynihan (Kerry)
11. Jack Savage (Kerry)
12. Aaron McCarthy (Kerry)

13. James Duggan (Kerry)
14. Mark O’Shea (Kerry)
15. Conor Keane (Kerry)

Subs

Cillian Ferris (Limerick) for Potts (44)
Conor Smith for Kearns (44)
Daniel O’Keeffe for Duggan (48)
Conor Byrne (Wicklow) for McCarthy (48)
Darragh Kennedy for DJ Murphy (60)

Referee: Rory Hickey (Clare)

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