Newry lads sweep into Hogan final

ALL-IRELAND COLLEGES SF A SEMI-FINAL St Colman's, Newry 2-15 St Gerald's, Castlebar 1-8:ST COLMAN'S are through to a Hogan Cup final date with St Brendan's, Killarney, after an easy win at Pearse Park, Longford, on Saturday afternoon.

The Newry lads established a 1-9 to 0-5 lead by the break despite playing against the wind and after that there was no way back for the Connaught side.

Caolan Mooney, Donal O’Hare and Colin Stevenson hit points for St Colman’s, Cillian O’Connor responding for St Gerald’s.

But a Mooney goal eight minutes before the break put the Ulster champions in charge.

Mooney added two points on the restart and it took a superb save from goalkeeper Rory Byrne to deny Jerome Johnston a goal.

Though substitute Nathan O’Malley had a goal for Castlebar they were fighting a losing battle.

Three minutes before the end the influential Ross McGarry, who had come on as a substitute for St Colman’s, took a great pass from Chris Clarke before thumping the ball into the net off the underside of the bar.

ST COLMAN'S, NEWRY: M McNeice; S McGreevy, N Donnelly, R Lively; R Johnston, P Hillen, P Lively; N McParland (0-1), C Gough; D O'Hare (0-2), C Clarke (0-1), C Mooney (1-6); C Stevenson (0-2), J Johnston (0-2), T McGreevy. Subs: E Magee for S McGreevey, R McGarry (1-1)for T McGreevey, S McCartan for O'Hare, M Garvey for R Johnson

ST GERALD'S, CASTLEBAR:R Byrne; J Cotter, N Carney, J Redmond; M Regan, D Geraghty, J McHale; D Kirby, C Mulgrew; F Durcan, C O'Connor (0-5), T Gibbons; D Stenson (0-1), C Costello, C O'Shea (0-2). Subs: P Collins for McHale, N O'Malley (1-0)for Costello, S Irwin for Gibbons.

Referee: E O'Grady(Leitrim).