DKIT keep Sigerson hopes alive and comdemn TUS Midlands to second-tier

Aaron O'Neill of Armagh and DKIT. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho

Sigerson Cup: TUS Midlands 1-10 (1-1-8) DKIT 3-16 (3-1-14)

Trench Cup holders DKIT kept their Sigerson hopes alive and simultaneously condemned TUS Midlands back down to the second tier competition in a one-sided contest.

From start to finish, the visitors looked much more fluid and controlled in their play. 

Stephen Mooney was their playmaker-in-chief up front while Ryan Duffy and Jason Duffy were strong in the middle. 

Armagh star Aaron O’Neill coming back into the side after missing their first round defeat to TUD added a further touch of class to Eamon McEneaney’s team and they were utterly dominant in the opening half, running up a 1-10 to 0-3 lead before Matthew Whittaker’s two-pointer shortly before half-time gave the home side the faintest glimmer of hope.

Craig Callanan found the net from close range for the DKIT goal with Mooney hitting all five of his points in the opening half, four from frees.

TUS Midlands, despite playing second fiddle in terms of open play, still left plenty behind them with six first half wides and two more good chances dropped short, and they only got increasingly wasteful after the change of ends.

Whittaker, Declan Kenny, Darragh Flynn and Josh Kenny all had goal chances at various stages of the half, with Kenny drawing a fine save out of Kian Mulligan and the other three failing to hit the target or even to get a point for their efforts.

Kenny did rattle a late consolation goal but they were a beaten docket at that stage, having come back to six points down and then conceded a goal direct from a 45 taken by Mulligan, just when it looked as if there might be an interesting final quarter.

Even after Kenny hit the net, DKIT still had time to hit back in kind through Aaron O’Neill, restoring their double figure lead by the end.

Scorers for TUS Midlands: D Kenny (1-1, one free), S Birmingham (0-2), M Whittaker (0-2, tp), J Duncan 0-2 (one free), B Cooney (0-1), D Flynn (0-1), D McVann (0-1).

Scorers for DKIT: S Mooney (0-5, four frees), A O’Neill (1-2), K Mulligan (1-2, 1-0 45, 1tpf), C Callanan (1-0), N McKenna (0-2), K McArdle (0-2), P Blessing (0-1), J Duffy (0-1), L O’Hanlon (0-1).

TUS MIDLANDS (Westmeath unless stated): N Curran (Drung, Cavan); J Kenny (Athlone), D McVann (Summerhill, Meath), S Quinn (Ballymahon, Longford); O Kenny (Rathcline, Longford), D Kenny (Pádraig Pearses, Roscommon), C Coughlan (The Downs); L Glennon (Carrickedmond, Longford), B Cooney (Coralstown-Kinnegad); J Dowd (Annaghdown, Galway), M Whittaker (Tubberclair), A Lynam (Caulry); D Flynn (Ferbane, Offaly), J Duncan (Milltown, Kildare), S Birmingham (Headford, Galway).

Subs: T McCann (Kenagh, Longford) for Lynam (half-time), K Marrinan (Cooraclare, Clare) for Flynn (55).

DKIT (Louth unless stated): K Mulligan (Latton, Monaghan); C Clarke (Dreadnots), C McKeown (St. Joseph’s), B Butterly (Stabannon Parnells); O McGorman (Latton, Monaghan), R Duffy (Latton, Monaghan), C Callanan (Naomh Máirtín); J Duffy (Cullyhanna, Armagh), P Blessing (Crossmaglen Rangers, Armagh); JJ Hughes (Derrynoose, Armagh), A O’Neill (Crossmaglen Rangers, Armagh), A McKeown (Magheracloone, Monaghan); K McArdle (St. Bride’s), S Mooney (Cremartin, Monaghan), N McKenna (Emyvale, Monaghan).

Subs: D Reilly (Roche Emmets) for A McKeown (49), L O’Hanlon (Clan na Gael Dundalk) for McKenna (50), J Corrigan (Stabannon Parnells) for Butterly (56), F Brady (Kilkerley Emmets) for Hughes (56), K Duffy (Magheracloone, Monaghan) for McArdle (58).

Referee: C Ryan (Galway).