Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup Quarter-Final

UCD 0-16 DCU 1-9

By John Fallon at Dublin City University

UCD, the most prolific winners of the competition with 33 titles, advanced to a semi-final of this year’s Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup with a deserved four-point win over DCU.

UCD never trailed during a good contest at DCU Sportsgrounds and advanced to set up a semi-final meeting with Ulster University next week.

John Divilly’s charges made a perfect start and raced into a 0-7 to 0-0 lead by the 14th minute with Monaghan’s Conor McCarthy kicking three points, Evan O’Carroll of Laois got two and Tom Hayes of Cavan and Kerry’s Jack Barry also found the range.

DCU finally got moving when Tipperary’s Stephen O’Brien got them off the mark and Mayo player Diarmuid O’Connor quickly followed with another point.

Diarmuid Murtagh responded to an Eoin Lowry point with a good score and moments later he fielded a high delivery to fire home the only goal of the game.

Eanna O Conchuir then added a point for DCU and they turned around trailing by the minimum at 0-8 to 1-4.

The sides exchanged points after the restart but UCD hit two for each of DCU’s next two points and that left them leading by 0-13 to 1-6 going into the final quarter.

A superb effort from Paddy Durcan and a good point from O Conchuir cut the gap to two with 14 minutes left but UCD hit back with an effort from O’Carroll and then DCU were reduced to 14 when Ciaran Boylan picked up a second yellow card seven minutes from time.

DCU never looked like getting the goal they needed to get back into the contest and UCD made sure if victory with late frees from Lowry and O’Carroll.

Scorers for UCD: Evan O’Carroll 0-5 (0-1f, 0-1 45), Conor McCarthy 0-5 (0-4f), Eoin Lowry 0-3 (0-3f), Jack Barry 0-1, Tom Hayes 0-1, Liam Casey 0-1.

Scorers for DCU: Diarmuid Murtagh 1-3 (0-2f), Eanna O Conchuir 0-3 (0-1f), Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1, Stephen O’Brien 0-1, Paddy Durcan 0-1.

**UCD: **Charlie Manton (Dublin); Luke Fortune (Cavan), Cillian O’Shea (Dublin), Conor Mullally (Dublin) ; Peter Healy (Antrim), Stephen Coen (Mayo), Jimmy Feehan (Tipperary); Barry O’Sullivan (Kerry), Jack Barry (Kerry); Liam Casey (Tipperary), Conor McCarthy (Monaghan), Brian Byrne (Kildare); Tom Hayes (Cavan), Evan O’Carroll (Laois), Eoin Lowry (Laois). **Subs: **Liam Silke (Galway) for Feehan (45), Larry Moran (Longford) for Hayes (49), Brian O Seanachain (Kerry) for Casey (55), Paddy O’Connor (Sligo) for Lowry (59).

DCU: Evan Comerford (Dublin); Ciaran Boylan (Meath), Fintan Kelly (Monaghan), Declan Monaghan (Dublin); Paddy Durcan (Mayo), Shehroz Akram (Mayo), Dessie Ward (Monaghan); Caolon McGonagle (Donegal), Stephen O’Brien (Tipperary); Diarmuid O’Connor (Mayo), Shane Carthy (Dublin), Desmond Reynolds (Longford); Micheal Bannigan (Monaghan), Diarmuid Murtagh (Roscommon), Eanna O Conchuir (Kerry). Subs: Cian Breheny for Bannigan (29), Conor Bradley (Cavan) for O’Brien (31), Michael Hall (Mayo) for Monaghan (40), Thomas Galligan (Donegal) for Reynolds (51).

**Referee: **Brendan Cawley (Kildare).