LyIT back on track in Freshers’ Championship with win over St Mary’s

Letterkenny Institute of Technology got their All-Ireland Colleges Freshers’ Championship ambitions going tonight at the Donegal Training Centre in Convoy.

Letterkenny IT 0-12
St Mary’s College (Belfast) 1-4

The side managed by Donegal minor boss Luke Barrett had five points to spare at the finish. Aodh Ruadh’s Cian Rooney top-scored for LyIT with five points and Dungloe’s Daire Gallagher hit four more of the scores for the eventual winners.

The Naomh Muire Lower Rosses’ Ferdia Doherty capped a brilliant overall performance with two points from full-back.
LyIT, on a fine night for football, started brightly and with Jack Gillespie and Bannon Corrigan on top in the middle of the field they led 0-4 to 0-0 by the first water-break.

And they had extended their advantage out to five points before Conor Adams kicked St Mary’s first point from on 24 minutes. The wing-forward converted a close in free in what was only the Belfast nursery’s third attack.

St Mary’s, who played very defensively with 14 men behind the ball at all times, enjoyed a good spell of possession.
But LyIT were still in control until the closing minutes when they were rocked with a late goal and point to go in level 0-5 to 1-2, at the break, with the goal coming from Eoghan DevlIn.

It was a freakish type of goal, scooped the ball past Daithi Roberts from a long delivery into the goalmouth.
But LyIT, who were caught with a late goal against UUJ in the first round in a 2-7 to 1-9 loss last week, were in no mood to roll over.

They struck for four quick points in the early minutes of the second half and were 0-9 to 1-3 up at the second water-break.
Then, they polished off things, outshooting their opponents by three points to one in the final 10 minutes to get the show back on the road.

They play Queen’s University Belfast for a place in the quarter-finals next week. Ferdia Doherty and Eoghan De Burca were the pick of the defenders, with the Gaoth Dobhair man outstanding in the half-back.

Jack Gillespie and Bannon Corrigan held sway in the middle of the field and Gallagher, in a free role, and Rooney, were the main tormentors on a night where LyIT held all the aces.

Letterkenny IT: Daithi Roberts (0-1,1f); Conor Cannon, Ferdia Doherty (0-2), Conal McDermott; Eoin De Burca, Liam Carty, Conor McGinty; Bannon Corrigan, Jack Gillespie; Fionnan Coyle, Jack Alcorn, Keith Feely; Daire Gallagher (0-4,3f), Cian Rooney (0-5,2f), Luke Gallagher. Subs: Kevin McGettigan for L Gallagher (47); Darragh Mahon for C McGinty (54), Mikey McHale for J Alcorn (59)

St Mary's College, Belfast: Fergal Quinn; Peter O'Kane, Paul Clifford, Eoin McEvoy; Oisin McClafferty, Dan Haighney, Dan Griffin; Darragh Trainor, Danny McHugh; Eoghan Devlin (1-0), Miceal Ferrus, Darragh Maguire; Conor Adams (0-2, 2f),Morgan Crosskey (0-1),MacDarragh Hynes (0-1). Subs: Dara McFlynn for Maguire (47), Callum Lagan for F Quinn (49),

Referee: James Connors (St Eunan's)