DCU 1-11
St Mary’s 0-11
DCU HAD TO dig deep to get past 14-man St Mary’s in Belfast, with three unanswered points in the second half of extra time earning them a place in the Sigerson Cup finals weekend in Cork.
The Dublin side trailed by 0-8 to 0-3 at half time but the sending-off of Down forward Ryan Johnston just before the break for striking gave them a glimmer of hope heading into the second half.
They trailed by six points when Aidan Forker converted a 40th minute for St Mary’s, but from there they reeled off 1-3 without reply to draw level with Donal Wyrnn’s fisted goal after 51 minutes the crucial score.
St Mary’s hung in and thought they had sealed victory late on when Thomas Canavan, a nephew of Tyrone legend Peter, was brought back on the field to kick a vital left-footed free with time almost up.
He nailed the kick, which was St Mary’s first score since Forker’s free 20 minutes earlier, but Roscommon’s Donie Smith immediately hit a superb equaliser for DCU to tie the scores at 1-7 to 0-10 to take the game to extra time.
The sides only managed one point apiece in the first half of extra time but DCU’s bench showed its class contributing 1-4 of their tally during the second half and extra time.
St Mary’s could not respond again once DCU pressed ahead in the second period of extra time with Lowe’s ’45′ as well as points from Colm Begley and Simon McCoy.
Scorers for DCU: Donal Wrynn 1-1, Conor McHugh 0-3 (2f), Tadhg Lowe 0-2 (0-2 ’45′s), Conor Moynagh, Colm Begley, Donie Smith, Simon McCoy, S Carey (0-1f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for St Mary’s: Tommy Canavan 0-4 (0-3f), Aidan Forker 0-3 (0-1f), Jerome Johnston 0-2, Paddy McBride, Ryan Johnston (0-1 ’45′) 0-1 each.
DCU
1. Tadgh Lowe (Boyle, Roscommon)
2. Jack Smith (Skerries Harps, Dublin)
3. Conor Boyle (Clontibret, Monaghan)
4. Conor Daly (Padraig Pearses, Roscommon)
5. Dessie Ward (Ballybay, Monaghan)
6. Conor Moynagh (Drumgoon, Cavan)
7. Colm Begley (Laois)
8. Tom Flynn (Athenry, Galway)
9. Steven O’Brien (Ballina, Tipperary)
10. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber, Mayo)
11. Conor Meredith (O’Dempsey’s, Laois)
12. Davy Byrne (Ballymun Kickhams, Dublin)
13. Enda Smith (Boyle, Roscommon)
14. Niall Murphy (Coolera-Strandhill, Sligo)
15. Conor McHugh (Na Fianna, Dublin)
Subs
Rory Connor (Kenagh, Longford) for Boyle (20)
Conor McGraynor (Avondale, Wicklow) for O’Connor (half-time)
Donal Wrynn (Fenagh, Leitrim) for Murphy (half-time)
Donal Smith (Boyle, Roscommon) for Ward (43)
Shane Carey (Monaghan) for Meredith (45)
Simon McCoy (Armagh) for E Smith (55)
Fintan Kelly (Castlerea St Kevin’s, Roscommon) for Flynn (64)
Eoin Keane (The Heath, Laois) for Byrne (77)
ST MARY’S
1. Rory Burns (Castlewellan, Down)
2. Aaron Beattie (Newry Bosco, Down)
3. Conor Clarke (Omagh, Tyrone)
4. Harry Loughran (Moy, Tyrone)
5. Paddy McBride (St John’s, Antrim)
6. Aidan Forker (Maghery, Armagh)
7. Ciaran McCooey (Cullyhanna, Armagh)
8. Danny McBride (Strabane, Tyrone)
9. Emmett Bradley (Watty Grahams, Derry)
10. Jerome Johnston (Kilcoo, Down)
11. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy, Tyrone)
12. Ryan Johnston (Kilcoo, Down)
13. Kevin McKernan (Burren, Down)
14. Matthew Fitzpatrick (St. John’s, Antrim)
15. Tommy Canavan (Errigal Ciaran, Tyrone)
Subs
James Morgan (Crossmaglen, Armagh) for Beattie (20)
Neil McNicholl (Glenullin, Derry) for Canavan (44)
Conal McCann (Killyclogher, Tyrone) for Loughran (49)
B O’Hagan (Down) for Fitzpatrick (59)
Tommy Canavan (Errigal Ciaran, Tyrone) for McNicholl (59)
Neil McNicholl (Extra-man for extra-time).