Boss Aidan rages after loss to UUJ; SIGERSON CUP UUJ 1-12 QUEEN'S 1-6.

Byline: By ORLA BANNON

QUEEN'S manager Aidan O'Rourke was furious with the performance of referee Padraig Hughes following their shock defeat to arch rivals Jordanstown in yesterday's Sigerson Cup clash.

While insisting that UUJ, the Sigerson holders, were deserving winners O'Rourke was unhappy with his fellow Armagh man with both sides reduced to 13 men at the Dub.

Niall McKeever (UUJ) and Joe O'Kane (Queen's) received straight red cards following a melee in the second-half and they were later followed by Queen's captain Paul Courtney also on a straight red for a tackle on UUJ goalscorer Kieran Donnelly.

The new playing rules do not apply to third-level games and in the closing minutes UUJ midfielder Packie Downey was sent-off for a second yellow card.

Queen's were the form team coming into yesterday's first round game but form usually goes out the window when it comes to Queen's against UUJ and so it proved again.

Monaghan's Darren Hughes and Tyrone's Colm Cavanagh were particularly impressive, the latter with four spectacular four points from play.

Paul Kernan was released by Crossmaglen to line out for UUJ who were without three first-choice defenders.

Kernan contained Queen's great hope James Kielt and while Queen's build-up play was slow, Jordanstown were slick, decisive and clinical.

"They had their homework done on us," admitted O'Rourke, "reaching the McKenna Cup final was good for us but I felt we were sitting ready for the fall".

"We knew they would have a good look at us and we were thoroughly out-played. I felt we were very flat and they were by far the better team."

Jordanstown led from start to finish and were 1-2 to 0-0 ahead after 16 minutes.

Cavanagh made the first of many superb catches and when he was fouled, Kieran Donnelly stepped up to slot home the penalty.

Queen's responded nearly immediately with Derry's Sean Leo McGoldrick drilling the ball into the net but UUJ still led by 1-7 to 1-2 at half-time.

Hughes, McKeever and Cavanagh tagged on points and Queen's had little answer with inside forwards Kielt and Shaun O'Neill unable to wreak much havoc, the poor quality ball coming into them certainly didn't help.

In contrast UUJ produced a sparkling display and will now meet the winners of the postponed St Mary's v NUI Galway game in the quarter-final.

UUJ: G Kelly, A Girvan, P Kernan, D McDermott, D Mulholland, D Hughes (0-1), D Bateson, J Colgan, P Downey (0-1), K Donnelly (1-2, 1f), R Mulgrew (0-1), N McKeever (0-2), C Cavanagh (0-4), S Forker, T McCann (0-1)

QUB: F Murphy, H Gallagher, N McGovern, L Howard, R Dillon, J O'Kane, J Crozier (0-1), C Vernon, B McArdle, J Loughrey, C McGinn, SL McGoldrick (1-0), J Kielt (0-5, 3f), S O'Neill, C Bayne

REFEREE: Padraig Hughes (Armagh)

CAPTION(S):

BLOND AMBITION UUJ goalscorer Kieran Donnelly fists the ball past Queen's ace Ryan Dillon