Fitzgibbon Cup Final: University of Limerick 0-23 DCU Dóchas Éireann 1-15
The power and quality of a star-studded UL team was for too much for DCU to handle in this afternoon’s Fitzgibbon Cup final at the Connacht Centre of Excellence, with 0-10 from man-of-the-match Gearóid O’Connor playing a key role in a third championship win in four years for the Limerick college.
Eleven UL players scored from play as DCU simple couldn’t match their scoring threat up front. The underdogs, who came in on the back of sensational upset wins over reigning champions Mary I and a hotly-fancied UCC side, scored 1-1 in injury time in the second half – Cathal Beirne supplying the only goal of the game – but up to that point they had registered just seven points from play, compared to UL’s 17.
John Conneally, Mark Fitzgerald and O’Connor were all on target with fine points from play as UL racked up a 0-5 to 0-1 lead, but inaccuracy was a problem in the opening half-hour as they put eight shots wide and dropped two more short.
Cian Boran, Paddy Langton and Donal Shirley were the exceptions, offering leadership for DCU in key positions, and points from Boran and Beirne helped drag DCU back into the game.
Seán Moran: Ratios shift ominously as the GAA fights to hold its audience
Decision on Ulster quarter-final venue put off as Antrim double down on Corrigan Park
Proposal to allow GAA clubs make facilities available to other sports to be voted on at Congress
Aidan Forker set for two-game suspension after red card for headbutt on Michael Murphy
Sam Bourke, Colin Spain and Billy Reid combined to set up a point for Peter Clarke that briefly levelled thing on 0-7 apiece, and while UL got their noses back in front by half-time, 0-9 to 0-8, DCU had every reason to believe another shock win was there for the taking.
Their belief was effectively crushed when UL exploded out of the blocks after half-time, with Jack Leahy striking two points in the first two minutes and Adam English adding a sublime point in a run of five unanswered scores in five minutes.
UL’s powerful bench also showed, with Cathal O’Neill, Seán O’Hanlon and Diarmuid Hanniffy all registering points.
In the closing stages DCU struggled to do more than pick up points from Denis Walsh frees, leaving UL out of sight by the time Beirne whipped his ground shot into the net in stoppage time.
UL: D Fahy; A Morgan, J Conneally (0-1), M Corcoran; K Doyle (0-1), M Fitzgerald (0-1), C Coughlan; B O’Sullivan (0-1), A English (0-2); P Crotty, C O’Meara, G O’Connor (0-10, 6f); J Leahy (0-2), A O’Connor (0-1), P O’Donovan.
Subs: S O’Hanlon (0-2) for O’Donovan (h-t), C O’Neill (0-1) for Leahy (40 mins), S Rynne for O’Sullivan (48), D Hanniffy (0-1) for Crotty (54).
DCU DÓCHAS ÉIREANN: C Byrne; I Bolger, P Moylan, P Lennon; B Reid, P Langton, S Bourke; D Shirley, C Spain; C Beirne (1-1), C Boran (0-2), D Carley (0-1); J Flanagan (0-1), D Walsh (0-8, 7f), P Clarke (0-2).
Subs: C Kehoe for Carley (48 mins), C Dunne for Walsh (52).
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
