Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup, Round One
St Mary's UC 1-16 Queen's University, Belfast 1-9
A DOMINANT second half saw St Mary's get the better of Belfast rivals, Queen's as Davitt Park on Sunday to get their Sigerson Cup campaign off to a flying start.
This game was refixed several times with freezing conditions dominating the week, but at the fourth time of asking, these city rivals finally met and it was the Falls Road college which grew stronger as the game progressed to win with a bit to spare.
They didn't get their noses in front until the 49th minute but when they went ahead again with seven to play, there was no looking back as the sharp-shooting of Niall McKenna and Sean Rock to aid a strong display in the centre third of the field saw them take over.
Queen's made a few changes to the team listed and one of those, Antrim's Ryan McQuillan, kicked them into an early lead.
A Sean Quigley effort from deep tied it, but Queen's were always a step ahead in the opening half with Luke Donnelly opening his account from a mark and goalkeeper Oran McGrath joining the attack to score from range.
Although Daniel Haigney pulled one back on the counter, McQuillan and Padraig Purcell stretched the margin to three, but The Ranch responded in kind as Sean Rock kicked a free and then Fergal O'Brien landed a beauty with the outside of his boot from deep.
However, 23 minutes in the hosts were caught out from. quick free by Luke Donnelly who found McQuillan to rattle the net, yet St Mary's would enjoy a better run to the half as after an exchange of frees, Niall McKenna and Sean Rock landed to trim the gap to two with Queen's 1-6 to 0-7 ahead.
That momentum carried into the second half with Fergal O'Brien pointing moments after scrambled Queen's defence shut the door on Callum Logan.
Luke Donnelly did respond from a free, but it was clear the momentum was with St Mary's and they were back on terms with McKenna and substitute Caolan Reavey on target.
QUB goalkeeper Oran McGrath comes under pressure from Dara Mooney 
However, a few chances to go in front for the first time came and went, and when Patrick McGurk restored the Queen's advantage at the other end, it seemed it could be one of those days. Those suspicions grew when Queen's goalkeeper Oran McGrath fumbled a dropping shot from Fergal O'Brien and twice, he managed to recover to save from Dara Mooney.
St Mary's did grab a leveller from a McKenna free and then the Emyvale man finally put his side in front.
Brian Conway did level it again with nine to play, but this would be the final score for Queen's as St Mary's stormed to the line with McKenna, goalkeeper Shea Magill and Rock all landing placed balls before Queen's lost Matthew Laverty to a black card in added time.
McKenna's seventh of the day put them out of sight, but they would finish with a flourish as Rock went short with a free, which saw him take a return pass, race in and blast home to seal a win and a place in Round 2A, where they will travel to TUD. Queen's will now take the scenic route with a trip to the University of Galway this week.
ST MARY'S: S Magill (0-1, 45); J Donnelly, F Murdock, M Hynes; D Haigney (0-1), M McCallan, S O'Donnell; D Treanor, F O'Brien (0-2); D Mooney, S Rock (1-3, 0-2f), S Quigley (0-1); C Logan, N McKenna (0-7, 4f, 1m), D Logue.
Subs: C Reavey (0-1) for C Logan (40), C Walsh for D Mooney (60+4)
QUB: O McGrath (0-1); B Conway (0-1), J McErlaine, R Boyle; L Downey, L McBride, P McGurk (0-1); M Laverty, J Lenaghan; A Crimmins, P Purcell (0-1), D Higgins; R Cassidy, R McQuillan (1-2), L Donnelly (0-3, 2f, 1 m).
Subs: C Love for L Donnelly (40), L McManus for P Purcell (46), J O'Hara for R Boyle (52).
REFEREE: Enda Mallon (Armagh)
