IT Sligo 3-8 DIT 0-9Donegal's Michael Doherty scored 2-6 of IT Sligo's total as the college overcame a shaky start to run out comfortable winners over DIT at Ballinode yesterday.
The Four Masters man drilled the ball to the DIT net after three minutes, but the Sligo college were lucky to survive in the sixth minute when Dublin under-21 player Kevin McMenamin blasted the ball across the face of an open goal.
McMenamin then brought a fingertip save from IT goalkeeper Paul Durcan, with the ball going over the bar.
A Doherty goal in the 20th minute put the home side three points ahead, but DIT were never out of it during the opening 30 minutes and were only a point in arrears, 2-1 to 0-6, at half-time.
DIT right corner back Alan Daly squared the match a minute into the second half, but a goal and six points without reply - with four points coming from the boot of Doherty - put the game out of the visitors' reach.
Barry Regan put IT ahead by double scores, 3-5 to 0-7, with a 43rd-minute goal.
Substitute Shane Conlon missed a goal-scoring opportunity for DIT in stoppage time.
IT SLIGO: P Durcan; S McDermott, L O'Malley, K Lacey; J Murphy, B McWeeney, C Boyle; B McElvaney, J McCarthy; J Davey, E Kenny (0-1), A Moran; A Costello, B Regan (1-0), M Doherty (2-6, five frees). Subs: J Parsons for McCarthy; S Mulligan for Kenny; S Collery (0-1) for Costello.
DIT: G Gilsen; A Daly (0-2), P Turley, D Walsh; S Burke, L Fleming, D Culloty; J Coughlan (0-1), G Gallagher; M Burke, R Clere (0-1), S McCormack (0-1); C Ward (0-2), K McMenamin (0-2), D Munnelly. Subs: M Brennan for Gallagher; S Conlon for McCormack; P Hughes for Clere; R Dunne for McMenamin.
Referee: P Carney (Roscommon).