Maynooth University's Conor Duke in Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup action. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup Round Three
Maynooth University 2-9 St Mary's 1-7
By Paul Keane at Maynooth University North Campus
Maynooth are the last team through to the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup quarter-finals but boy did the hosts live dangerously late on in this Round 3 encounter.
Just a point separated these sides approaching the 60th minute following Niall McKenna's goal for a resurgent St Mary's from a penalty, suggesting the Belfast side could sneak a result.
They had trailed from the sixth minute, when Kerry's Luke Crowley netted for hosts Maynooth, but turned what was at one stage in the first-half an eight-point deficit into just a one-point game.
Maynooth didn't score at all in the third quarter of the game and their first point in the second-half didn't arrive until the 51st minute. That is something that last season's semi-finalists will have to address if they are to make it back to the last four this year, or beyond. They were without Dunshaughlin's Conor Duke for 10 minutes after a 43rd minute black card.
But they got away with it on this occasion because the next score after that McKenna penalty conversion for St Mary's was, crucially, Frayne's fifth point of the evening to leave two between them, 1-9 to 1-7.
Frayne then got on the ball in a central position deep into stoppage time and ran hard at the St Mary's defence, offloading to Tullamore's Harry Plunkett who played in James Harris on the left for their second goal.
Suddenly Maynooth were five clear and coasting again though they will realise that with St Mary's down to 14 players for three quarters of the game, it should have been easier than this.
Tyrone's Sean O'Donnell was shown a straight red card in the 19th minute following an off the ball incident that left Maynooth's Brian O'Halloran grounded.
Buoyed by their extra man, and already on top following the Crowley goal and points from the likes of Plunkett, Daniel Scahill and Frayne, Maynooth hit the interval with a 1-7 to 0-3 lead.
Naas' Paddy McDermott struck a late, late winning goal when these sides met at the same stage in 2022, in Belfast.
He was among the first-half scorers this time too but Maynooth were pinned back for long spells of the second-half as St Mary's rallied.
Sean Rock struck a couple of points, as did Niall Burns, and when substitute Callum Walsh won a 58th minute penalty, Mary's were thrown a lifeline.
Niall McKenna, who'd struck 2-14 in his previous two games, drilled it low to the net but that was as close as St Mary's came. Five second-half points, and eight overall, didn't help their cause.
They exit the competition while Maynooth, who bounced back from their extra-time Round 1 loss to TUS Midlands with a five-goal Round 2B thumping of ATU Donegal, are still alive.
With Round 2A winners UCD, holders Ulster University, TU Dublin and TUS Midlands already through to the quarter-finals, Maynooth now join MTU Kerry, UL and DCU in advancing as Round 3 winners.
Scorers for Maynooth University: Luke Crowley, James Harris 1-0 each, Eoghan Frayne 0-5 (3fs), Conor Gray, Daniel Scahill, Harry Plunkett, Paddy McDermott 0-1 each.
Scorers for St Mary's: Niall McKenna 1-2 (1-0pen, 2fs), Sean Rock 0-2 (1f), Niall Burns 0-2, Dara Mooney 0-1.
Maynooth: Eoin Sheehan (Kildare); Daniel Scahill (Westmeath), Brian O'Halloran (Meath), Thomas McPhillips (Monaghan); James Harris (Kildare), Tom Moran (Wicklow), Sean O'Hare (Meath); Conor Gray (Meath), Conor Duke (Meath); Paddy McDermott (Kildare), Eoghan Frayne (Meath), Sean Emmanuel (Meath); Harry Plunkett (Offaly), Luke Crowley (Kerry), Kieran McArdle (Louth).
Subs: Ryan Burke (Kildare) for Moran 42, Geordi O'Meara (Offaly) for Crowley 45, Rian Teahan (Kildare) for Emmanuel 53.
St Mary's: Shea Magill (Armagh); Finn Murdock (Down), James Donnelly (Derry), Macdarragh Hynes (Down); Sean Quigley (Armagh), Declan Loye (Armagh), Daniel Haigney (Tyrone); Darragh Treanor (Monaghan), Fergal O'Brien (Armagh); Dara Mooney (Derry), Sean Rock (Down), Niall Burns (Antrim); Callum Lagan (Derry), Sean O'Donnell (Tyrone), Niall McKenna (Monaghan).
Subs: Caolan Reavey (Armagh) for Haigney 35, Callum Walsh (Antrim) for Lagan 50, Lagan for Hynes 57.
Referee: Alan Coyne (Westmeath).
