UUJ and Maynooth to meet in Sigerson semi-final

Five-time Sigerson Cup winners UUJ advanced to tomorrow's semi-finals of the competition, following a 2-19 to 1-8 win over IT Carlow.

Goals in either half from Monaghan's Conor McManus and Tyrone's Jason McAnulla helped UUJ to victory at Belfield this afternoon.

Jordanstown stormed into an early 1-3 to 0-0 lead, with McManus claiming a fifth minute goal.

IT Carlow responded with a seventh minute penalty kick from Laois' Craig Rogers. Wexford's Ben Brosnan and Daithi Carroll of Laois landed points to bring IT Carlow further into contention.

However, scores from Ciaran McGinley, McManus and McAnulla helped UUJ take a 1-10 to 1-5 interval lead.

IT Carlow were wasteful on the restart as UUJ capitalised with McAnulla's goal arriving in injury-time to secure a 14-point winning margin.

Meanwhile, NUI Maynooth edged a step closer to their first Sigerson Cup title since 1976 after registering a 0-9 to 1-2 semi-final win over UL.

John Divilly's charges put in a workmanlike performance in the closing 30 minutes against a UL outfit that kicked five second half wides and also missed two goal-scoring opportunities during this spell.

UL created a number of scoring chances throughout the game, but were made pay by an eager NUI Maynooth side who had five players on target over the 60 minutes.

A seventh minute goal from Kerry's Anthony Maher helped UL settle quickly. He found the net after benefiting from some great support play by Nemo Rangers' David Niblock.

Maher's goal helped UL stay on top in the opening half as his side claimed a 1-1 to 0-3 half-time lead, with Laois duo Paul Cahillane and Barry Mitchell, along with Karl O'Brien, scoring Maynooth's points.

As NUI Maynooth hit back on the resumption, UL were held to just one second half point - Kevin O'Sullivan pointed a free for Declan O'Keefe's side, ten minutes from the end.

Just a point separated the sides at that stage, but scores from Cahillane and the two David Quinns from Dublin - one from Lucan Sarsfields and the other from Na Fianna - sealed a four-point victory.