Sigerson Cup/UC 1-9 NUIG 0-9: UCD supremo and Dublin selector Dave Billings knows that his side have quite a bit of work to do if they are to bridge a nine-year gap by winning this season's Sigerson Cup.

The most prolific winners of the tournament - with 33 crowns - have high hopes this year, but they made hard work of seeing off NUI Galway at Dangan yesterday.

The Dublin college - who led by 1-5 to 0-3 at the break - registered all their scores from play. Indeed, regular free-taker Shane Lennon did not have a single free inside the NUIG half during the game.

But the first year student from Louth provided the game's decisive score after just three and a half minutes when he finished to the net from close range. And the early setback meant that NUIG were chasing the game from there on, with insufficient ball going into Galway star Micheál Meehan.

UCD will play the winners of today's clash between holders Sligo IT and Athlone IT next.

UCD: S Gallagher; P Griffin, C Evans, J McCarthy; E Ó Cuiv, J Donoghue, D O'Donoghue; M Ward, L Ó hEineachain (0-2); S Brady (0-1), J Hanley (0-1), B Sheehan; S Lennon (1-1), N McNamee (0-2), JP Casey (0-2). Subs: M Duffy for McCarthy (58 mins), M Ó Sé for Casey (60 mins).

NUIG: R O'Reilly; G Sice, C Monahan, D Blake; E Towey, N Coyne, D McConnell; N Kilmartin, J Boylan; G Cox (0-1), I Kilbride (0-1), C de Paor; M Meehan (0-4, frees), F Breathnach, B Ó Callarain (0-3, frees). Subs: D McDermott for Blake (25 mins), K Costello for Boylan (half-time), S Kilbride for de Paor (44 mins).

Referee: P Fox (Westmeath).