Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup round three
University of Galway 0-11 St Mary’s University College 1-7
ST Mary’s hearts were broken by two stoppage time points from Cian Monaghan snatched victory for University of Galway at a stormy Abbottstown.
The Ranch looked destined for another trademark upset when substitute Shea Daly palmed to the net to level the game four minutes from time before the excellent Sean Rock kicked them into the lead with 30 seconds remaining.
That in itself had seemed improbable a few minutes earlier, with the gale blowing behind Maurice Sheridan’s side who held a four-point lead at 0-9 to 0-5 heading into the final stretch.
But goalkeeper Liam Brady’s fumble was punished by the alert Rock, who managed to nip in and turn the ball back for Daly to palm a lobbed effort over Brady and into the Galway net.
With Seanie O’Donnell dictating matters for the Falls Road outfit, they looked to have won it themselves when Rock ignored the pull on his shorts to kick Gavin McGilly’s men into the lead with time running out.
But a brilliant piece of quick thinking from Ryan O’Donoghue turned a 50-metre free into a score for Monaghan when he moved the ball sharp as the Ranch defence went momentarily to sleep. The Oughterary clubman came on to the ball, got on to his right foot and levelled matters.
Tommy Conroy, quiet until the final minutes of the game, had burst through with a score of his own and was then provider for the winner, running at the St Mary’s defence and opening the gap for Monaghan to grab the headlines with an easy finish.
Despite having played fairly well, the underdogs had a fair bit to do going in at half-time a point behind having had the wind in their favour during the opening half.
At one stage in the second period, a Liam Brady kickout for Galway travelled right from his own 20m to almost the St Mary’s 13m line, such was the strength of the elements.
Twice Galway were reduced to 14 men with black cards for Liam Ó Conghaile and then Conor Dunleavy, whose absence coincided with St Mary’s recovery late on.
O Conghaile and Cillian Ó Curraoin had done the attacking damage for their side in the first half, with the latter kicking four of their five scores to leave them 0-5 to 0-4 ahead at the interval.
Sean Rock and Seanie O’Donnell were carrying the fight for the men in their change dark green strip, and they stayed close enough for long enough to look like they’d stolen it at the death.
But between O’Donoghue and Conroy as providers and Monaghan as the finisher, Galway survived and ended the Ranch’s Sigerson hopes.