Cork IT hoping for home comforts in Sigerson test

CORK IT coach Keith Ricken admits his side face a big test when they open their Ulster Bank Sigerson Cup campaign in this afternoon’s quarter-final at home to DCU.

CIT, as hosts, received a bye into the quarter-finals and are the last college side to enter competitive action against a star-studded DCU outfit.

“We know it’s a big test”, stated Ricken. “DCU are a good side, they’ve an array of talented footballers. But we had a good run in the league. We’d three extra competitive games which were very good. We also had a McGrath Cup game and some good challenges.

“We don’t feel extra pressure because we’re hosting the competition. We’re hosting because we can — not because we want to be in it.

“We’re up against it but we’ve a great spirit in the club. I’m quietly confident we’ll be able to put up a good account of ourselves.”

Cork will have a strong side on duty with Ray Carey, Stephen O’Donoghue and Aidan O’Sullivan laying the defensive foundations and Daniel Goulding, Paul Kerrigan and Colm O’Neill entrusted with racking up the scores.

They face a DCU team who were inspired by Mayo’s Conor Mortimer in their success two weeks ago over Sligo IT. Mortimer is the key figure for DCU but he gets able support from Cavan danger man Seanie Johnston, Meath midfielder Kevin Reilly, Donegal netminder Michael Boyle and Dublin defender Paddy Andrews.

There are three other Sigerson Cup quarter-finals this afternoon, with champions UUJ facing NUI Galway in Kingspan Breffni Park in Cavan. UUJ’s campaign received a huge boost when they triumphed in the Ulster derby with Queen’s University last time out and they’ll be hoping Tyrone attackers Raymond Mulgrew and Colm Cavanagh, along with James Colgan (Down) and captain Darren Hughes (Monaghan) can reproduce their form from then.

NUI Galway will be backboned by intercounty seniors Gareth Bradshaw and Sean Armstrong of Galway, Kieran Conroy (Mayo) and Peter Domican (Roscommon) but UUJ get the nod.

In Templemore, league champions Garda College bid to overcome UCD. Garda’s main scoring supply will stem from Cork’s John Miskella and Leitrim senior Emlyn Mulligan, while Darren Mullahy (Galway), Eamonn Callaghan (Kildare) and Michael Cussen (Cork) also play big roles. UCD will be spearheaded by Mark Ronaldson (Mayo), John O’Loughlin (Dublin), yet Garda College should have enough to prevail.

In the last quarter-final Galway-Mayo IT play host to Dublin IT in Galway. GMIT had a fine win over UCC in the second round and will be aiming for Paul Conroy (Galway), Tom Cunniffe (Mayo) and Donal Shine (Roscommon) to reprise those displays. DIT defeated Athlone IT in the previous round and their team is anchored by the Dublin trio Paul Flynn, Paul Brogan and Mark Vaughan. It should be a close affair but GMIT might just edge it.