Sigerson Cup’s sorry saga finally heading for a conclusion

SEVEN weeks after their semi-final victory, UUJ finally get to play the Sigerson Cup decider against Garda College at Carlow IT Grounds this evening (6.15pm).

It ends the sorry saga of objections and appeals which befell the third level educational football competition.

News emanating from the Garda camp is mixed. Both Aidan O’Mahony and Denis Glennon, who will be involved with Kerry and Westmeath in the NFL finals at the weekend, are free to play.

However Cork senior Michael Cussen has been ruled out for six weeks with an ankle injury and will be a huge loss for the Templemore based outfit bidding for a first Sigerson.

Garda, who lost the 1999 decider to IT Tralee, defeated Galway/Mayo IT last week by two points after extra time, face an onerous task against a star-studded Jordanstown college

Both teams are laced with inter-county players.

Apart from Glennon and O’Mahony, Garda can call on Galway senior David Mulhally, Dublin senior John O’Brien, Cork panellist Mark Harrington and former Kerry U21, Ambrose O’Donovan. UUJ are back-boned by a series of high profile stars.

Mark Lynch (Derry) has been cleared to play despite Sunday’s NFL final with Kerry and the presence of Tyrone’s Colm Cavanagh, Raymie Mulgrew, Damien McCaul, Andy Moran (Mayo), Paddy Cunningham (Antrim) and Karl Lacey (Donegal) make the Ulster side favourites to win a title they last collected in 2001.