Ryan Cup – Ulster University 2-8 Queens 0-4
The Ulster University senior footballers booked their Ryan Cup quarter-final spot with a 10-point win over QUB on Wednesday night in Jordanstown.
The home side led by a point at half time before a purple patch in the third quarter saw off the visitors who only mustered a point in the second half.
It sets up a top of the table clash with ATU Donegal in Convoy next Wednesday to decide top spot and a home quarter-final.
The sides will meet next Wednesday night in Convoy to see who tops the group and gets a home draw in the quarter-finals.
The visitors opened the scoring from wing-back Diarmuid Baker, but it was Barry Dillon’s side who took over and went two clear, thanks to three points from Baker’s Steelstown teammate Ben McCarron.
Lorcan McWilliams hit back with points for QUB and they trailed 0-3 to 0-2 at the break and were lucky when ‘keeper Brian Cassidy turned a Ryan Jones effort onto the crossbar.
Ulster University moved the Jones to wing back at half time and got a grip at midfield to win the first four kick-outs of the second half.
Ronan McCaffery scored the point of the half, but the game changed in the 36th minute when a Cassidy kick-out was intercepted the McKervey lobbed him with a cool finish to the empty net.
Cassidy made a further save from McKervey, substitute Liam Gray missed a chance and Karl Gallagher had one ruled out for square ball for a rampant Ulster University side.
Diarmuid Baker scored the visitors’ only score of the second half before Largo Elis tapped home the winners’ second goal from close range.
Ulster University: Odhrán Lynch; Ryan Convery, Finn McElroy, Ronan Boyle; Ronan McCaffrey (0-1), Ryan Magill (0-1), Josh Largo-Elis (1-0); Aodhan Donaghy, Odhran Murdock; Pól McKervey (1-0), Karl Gallagher (0-1), Ryan Cunningham; Ryan Jones, Ben McCarron (0-4, 1f), Ciaran Daly
Subs: Gareth Donaghy (0-1f) for R Boyle (HT), Liam Gray for C Daly (48), Conall Devlin for R Cunningham (54), Aidan Harney for P McKervey (54), Ronan McHugh for R Jones (56), Aaron Jones for R Convery (56)
Queens’ University: Brian Cassidy; Sean McCarty, Michael Meehan; Peter Fagan; Ardan McAvoy; Peter McGrane, Thomas McCormack, Diarmuid Baker (0-2); Callum O’Hare, Odhran Mallon; Fintan Canavan, Lorcan McWilliams (0-2, 1f), Conal Logan; Fionn Nagle, Eoin McGeehin
Subs: Tiarnan Bogue for C Logan (36), James O’Hara for F Canavan (44), Billy Campbell for F Nagle (48), Sean Campbell for S McCarthy (49)
Referee: Conal Roberts (Antrim)
In the opening game, it was another home win with Ulster University running out 0-19 to 0-9 winners against Queens’.
With Paul Quinn, Aidan McAleese and Ronan McHugh in fine form, Ulster University into a 0-14 to 0-4 interval lead before the management ran the bench to give everyone a run.
The only goal chance fell to the visitors, but goalkeeper Kevin Mullan was alert a parried a close-range free-kick away from the top corner.
