Queen's find touch in second half

Queen's University 1-11 St Mary's 2-5: Queen's University turned on the power during the second half at Casement Park yesterday to defeat Belfast neighbours St Mary's in their Sigerson Cup quarter-final clash.

Two goals in the first half for the losers, who led by 2-3 to 0-5 at the interval, seemed to lay the foundations of victory for St Mary's but Queen's, with Gerard O'Kane and Gavin Donaghy now in the team, were a transformed team after the restart.

Two points each by Michael O'Rourke and Donaghy levelled the match at the three-quarter stage before James McGovern put the winners ahead at 0-10 to 2-3. It was McGovern who then hit the vital goal eight minutes from time to put the Malone students into the semis, against UUJ, for the third year in a row.

Kevin McGourty, a main cog in the St Gall's team that faces Nemo Rangers in the All-Ireland club semi-final on Sunday, opened the scoring in the third minute for the winners but retired, uninjured, at half-time.

QUEEN'S: F Murphy; M Rooney, D McCartan, R O'Neill; J O'Kane, K Gunn, P Courtney; C O'Brien, P Turley; C Vernon, A Carr, K McGourty (0-1); J McGovern (1-1), E McCartan (0-1), M O'Rourke (0-6, three frees). Subs: G O'Kane for Rooney (half-time), G Donaghy (0-2, two frees) for McGourty (half-time), M Ward for E McCartan (61 mins).

ST MARY'S: M O'Kane; T Beckett, Joe McMahon, J Boyle; M McCullough, Justin McMahon (0-1), M Murray; C Martin, D Gordon; J Lavery, M Donnelly, R Hamill; L Meenan (1-1), R Keenan (0-2, one free), J Brown (1-1, one free). Subs: T O'Neill for Hamill (35 mins), C McCarron for Keenan (45 mins), C Daly for Lavery (51 mins).

Referee: P McEneaney (Monaghan).

The Ulster council have ratified the venues for two senior football championship matches. Tyrone's meeting with Derry will go ahead at Healy Park, Omagh, on May 28th as an all-ticket affair, while Down will surrender home advantage against Cavan on May 7th and play in Casement Park, as Páirc Esler, Newry, will not be completed in time.

Casement Park had been mooted earlier for this game but the decision was deferred until it was ascertained that major road works on the M1 at the Stockmans Lane intersection would not cause traffic chaos.