SIGERSON CUP FINAL

CIT 1-15

DIT 1-10

A highly satisfying Sigerson Cup decider at Cork IT yesterday, and the right result was registered with the hosts grasping the trophy for the first time with a six-point win over their Dublin rivals .

CIT overcame a nervy opening to produce a stirring performance with man-of-the-match Aidan O'Sullivan excelling in defence and ace forward Daniel Goulding flawless in his place kicking up front.

For DIT the outcome was a grave disappointment as the exchanges had unfolded in a dreamlike fashion early on for them. Three early points settled any lingering nerves they may have held and then corner-forward Kevin McManamon broke the game open when he expertly dispatched a sixth minute goal.

Hosts CIT were winded by that opening punch, but they never wilted and manfully forged a route back into the game. The foundation of their recovery lay with chief attacker Daniel Goulding, whose freetaking in the first-half was outstanding. He punished DIT's defensive indiscretions at will and by the 17th minute, CIT only trailed 0-4 to 1-3. Paul Flynn restored DIT's three-point advantage soon after but that merely interrupted CIT's flow. Goulding's points powered them to a 0-10 to 1-4 interval lead, and they could have been further ahead only for Colm O'Neill's 25th-minute drive to cannon off the crossbar.

DIT regrouped at the break and the introduction of Niall Coughlan did the trick in aiding their attack. Coughlan and Darragh Walsh helped themselves to two points apiece in the early stages of the second-half, to push DIT ahead by a slender margin, 1-8 to 0-10.

But just like they did in the first-half, CIT recovered from that early wobble and Shane McCarthy broke through in the 37th minute to hit a blistering drive to the net. It was a key score in the overall context of the game and placed CIT into a lead that they were never going to relinquish.

Flynn, Paul Kerrigan and Colm O'Neill all tacked on points and entering the finale, CIT were well placed with a 1-13 to 1-8 advantage. DIT came with a late rally when McManamon shot a monster point and nearly got in for a goal, only for Niall Coughlan's shot to be superbly saved by Liam Sheehan. That proved DIT's last chance at redemption as Gary Sayers and Goulding added the clinching scores for CIT.

CIT L Sheehan; A Fenton, R Carey, N Galvin; S O'Donoghue, A O'Sullivan, C O'Driscoll; S O'Hare, P O'Flynn (0-1 ); G Sayers (0-2 ), P Kerrigan (0-2), S McCarthy (1-0); D Goulding (0-9, 0-8 frees, 0-1 '45), C O'Neill (0-1 ), S Cahalane Subs J Fitzpatrick for McCarthy, 58 mins, R Leahy for O'Neill, 62 mins

DIT E Sommerville; M Burke, N O'Shea, K McLoughlin; D Hughes, R Glavin, B Flanagan; J Coughlan (0-1), P O'Neill; M Reilly (0-1), D Reilly, P Flynn; D Walsh ( 0-2), C Daly (0-1), K McManamon (1-2, 0-1 free) Subs D Graham for Flynn, N Coughlan (0-2) for Daly both half-time; E Gaffney for Walsh 51 mins; B O'Loughlin for D Reilly 58 mins; E Naughton for Hughes 60 mins

Referee Maurice Deegan (Laois)

In the earlier games, captain Declan McKiernan inspired St Pat's Drumcondra to a 0-12 to 0-7 success over Mary Immaculate College in the Trench Cup final, as they atoned for last year's final defeat. In the Corn na Mac Léinn final, Marino College ousted Blanchardstown IT by 1-12 to 1-6.

Leinster u-21 fc quarter-final

westmeath 2-18

kilkennny 1-2

Westmeath had a comfortable victory over Kilkenny in this Leinster under-21 football quarter-final at Nowlan Park yesterday afternoon.

Kilkenny had wind advantage in the first half but Westmeath led at half time by 2-8 to 1-2. The winners' goals came from Kieran Martin in the 12th minute and from a well taken penalty five minutes later from John Connellan. Kilkenny's goal also came from the spot, John Mulhall scoring in the 22nd minute.

The second half was all one way traffic with Westmeath hitting ten unanswered points as Kilkeny struggled. However they were also guilty of some sloppy shooting which will not suffice against Meath or Dublin in the Leinster semi-final

Westmeath D Quinn; F Reilly, K Gavin, S Moorhead; J Doran, D Corroon (0-1), T Warburton; A Browne (0-1), N Kilcoyne (0-2); C Lynam (0-1), C Reilly (0-1), K Martin (1-1); B Kelly, C McDaniel (0-3), J Connellan (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees) Subs C McCormack (0-2) for Martin; J Egan for Lynam ;J Durkan (0-1) for Warburton; A Giles (0-2) for McDaniel; S Quinn for C Reilly

Kilkenny M Gannon; D Walton, S Kelly, M Farrell; P Raftice, D Lyng, M Malone; J Dollard, C McDonald; J Mulhall (1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free); D O'Dwyer, S Kirwan S Mooney P Naughton C Roche Subs D O'Neill for R McDonald; B Dillon for Naughton; J Morrissey for Dollard; S Ryan for Roche; D Fenlon for O'Neill