Arthur’s day fails to sink DIT

DIT 1-16 ST PAT’S-MATER DEI 1-12

13 February 2013

NIALL ARTHUR’s 1-10 for St Patrick’s-Mater Dei in Clontarf wasn’t enough to stop DIT securing their third victory and qualify for the knockout stages as Group D winners.

Centre-forward Mike Moloney put DIT ahead with a clinical finish from a 21-metre free eight minutes in, but Pat’s restored parity thanks to a brace of scores from Arthur and one from midfielder James Kelly.

DIT settled towards the end of the half courtesy of well-taken efforts from Dublin star David Treacy (two), Moloney and Niall Quinn, but the reliable Arthur found the net in the third minute of stoppage-time.

The sides were level (1-5 to 1-5) heading into the second period, but three points from the increasingly influential Treacy restored DIT’s three-point cushion.

Finn McGarry saved a penalty 11 minutes from time and DIT moved six in front via scores from Treacy (three) and Galway’s Niall Quinn.

Pat’s threatened a mini-revival with points from Arthur (three) and Liam Ryan, but Stephen O’Connor’s fourth score sealed the win for DIT.

Scorers – DIT: D Treacy 0-8 (6f), M Moloney 1-2 (1-1f), S O’Connor 0-4, N Quinn 0-2. St Patrick’s-Mater Dei: N Arthur 1-10 (1-8f), J Kelly, L Ryan 0-1 each.

DIT – F McGarry; C O’Shaughnessy, J Divney, G McManus; D Curran, L Rushe, K Egan; S O’Connor, S Morris; S Ryan, M Moloney, N Quinn; J Hobbs, T Connolly, D Treacy. Subs: W Cullen for Hobbs (41), J McManus for Ryan (44), C Harney for Morris (46), B Carton for Connolly (54).

St Patrick’s-Mater Dei – S Russell; D Fitzgerald, D Glynn, E Barry; J Moore, P Butler, P Concannon; N Maguire, J Kelly; P Murphy, DM Carroll, L Ryan; F Walsh, N Arthur, K Nimmo. Subs: E O’Neill for Walsh (53), D Wright for Moore (55).

REF – A Stapleton (Laois).