Queens and Trinity College make it through to Ryan Cup decider

Ryan Cup Roundup

Queens University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin will contest this evening’s Higher Education Ryan Cup Hurling decider in Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds (5.30pm), after wins over IT Tralee and St Patrick’s College, Thurles, respectively in Rathkeale yesterday.

QUB were reduced to 14 men after 28 minutes, following a second yellow card for Down senior player Cormac Flynn, but held out for a 2-10 to 2-9 win.

An Eoghan Sands goal helped Queens to a 1-6 to 0-3 half-time lead.

Donal Nolan fired all of Tralee’s first-half tally and bagged a goal on the restart to ensure a 1-6 to 1-3 score-line.

IT Tralee cut the gap to a point, and were unlucky not to level the tie, after referee Alan Kelly ruled out a score.

A Fergal Donnelly goal pushed Queens four ahead, and although Offaly’s Chris McDonald (1-2) netted for IT Tralee, Queens held out for victory.

Trinity College had to work hard before claiming a 1-14 to 2-6 win over St Pat’s Thurles.

Despite leading at one stage by 12 points, the Dublin college endured a tense final quarter, which saw Pat’s outscore their opponents by 2-3 to 0-2 late on.

Trinity dominated the early exchanges and led by 1-7 to 0-3 at half-time, with James O’Connor netting their goal. Cathal McNamara saw red for Pat’s early in the second-half and despite falling 1-12 to 0-3 behind, they finished strongly with Aaron Fogarty and Rory Hickey netting goals. But it wasn’t enough.

In the Fergal Maher Cup, Cork Colleges for Further Education will meet Galway-Roscommon ETB in this afternoon’s final at Limerick IT (2.30pm), after two contrasting semi-finals at Na Piarsaigh yesterday.

CCFE dug deep in extra-time to claim a 1-13 to 0-13 win over Coláiste Mhuire Marino.

St Finbarr’s clubman Sean Ward netted the only goal in the second-half of extra-time in a cracking encounter.

Marino led by three points twice in normal time, with free-taker and captain Conor McQuillan (0-9) in impressive form.

The Kilkenny man helped his side to a 0-9 to 0-6 lead early in the second period, but CCFE levelled with a trio of Paul Leopold scores.

A long hold up due to injury to CCFE’s Glen Kennefick necessitated eight and a half minutes of injury-time.

McQuillan edged Marino ahead, but Aghada’s Aaron Stafford forced extra-time.

Dublin’s Chris Crummy and Colm Ó Fainin, along with Monaghan’s Gavin Baxter, impressed in the added period as Marino took a 0-13 to 0-12 lead, but Ward’s goal, coupled with a Stafford point ensured a Cork win.

First-half goals from Joe Mooney and Colin Hansbury helped GRETB to a comfortable 3-21 to 0-7 win over IT Sligo.

GRETB led 2-16 to 0-1 at half-time, with Damien Fahy scoring Sligo’s point, and although ITS outscored their opponents by 0-4 to 0-1 inside 10 minutes of the restart, Donal McMahon netted GRETB’s third goal.