Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup: DCU battle past MTU Cork

Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final

DCU Dóchas Éireann 4-13 MTU Cork 2-15

By Stephen Barry at MTU Cork

DCU Dóchas Éireann blasted four goals to march into the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup semi-finals with an impressive victory away to MTU Cork.

Despite the concessions, MTU still held the lead entering the final 10 minutes as the hail bucketed down in a fixture brought forward to 3.45pm due to an adverse forecast.

At that point, last year’s runners-up came with a 1-3 burst, with substitute Luke Murphy netting the goal to seal their progression to a last-four clash with Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

Free-taker Denis Walsh finished with 1-5, while Cathal Beirne added 0-5 and assisted two goals.

MTU got off to the better start with Ronan Walsh and Mikey Finn points followed by captain Alan Walsh sweeping the sliotar home from Darragh O’Sullivan’s delivery.

DCU replied with two goals within two minutes. Sam Byrne drew a penalty, which Denis Walsh buried to the net, before Beirne fed Byrne for a tap-in finish. The visitors led 2-0 to 1-2.

Alan Walsh and Beirne both struck a brace of points, while the latter also had a chance cleared off the line by Ronan Walsh.

In the 23rd minute, Johnny Murphy carved out an opening for Diarmuid Healy to dispatch past the keeper as MTU jumped 2-7 to 2-4 ahead.

They led by four entering stoppage time, but Beirne’s brilliant pullback was controlled by Donagh Murphy to whip to the net. The gap was back to one, 2-10 to 3-6.

In worsening conditions, Stephen Manogue saved a close-range Finn free and an Alan Walsh attempt. When Greg Kelly and Denis Walsh put back-to-back points together, DCU edged ahead.

Two huge scores from Kerry wing-back Ronan Walsh restored MTU’s lead in the 48th minute, but they wouldn’t score again until the third minute of added time.

A Beirne brace was followed by Luke Murphy’s 57th-minute clinching goal, after a delivery from Denis Walsh, who soon added a free for extra insurance.

As MTU gave chase, Healy and Finn had close-range frees saved, while O’Sullivan’s late attempt to drop in a 65 drifted over the bar.

Scorers for DCU Dóchas Éireann: Denis Walsh 1-5 (1-0p, 0-4f); Cathal Beirne 0-5; Sam Byrne, Donagh Murphy, Luke Murphy 1-0 each; Seán Gallagher, Peter Clarke, Greg Kelly 0-1 each.

Scorers for MTU Cork: Mikey Finn 0-5 (3f); Alan Walsh 1-2; Diarmuid Healy 1-1; Ronan Walsh 0-3 (1f); Ryan Deasy 0-2; Ruairí O’Connor, Darragh O’Sullivan (65) 0-1 each.

DCU DÓCHAS ÉIREANN: Stephen Manogue; Páidí Lennon, Liam O’Reilly, Sam Bourke; Billy Reid, Andrew Keegan, Seán Gallagher; Evan O’Brien, Dan O’Meara; Peter Clarke, Donagh Murphy, Cathal Beirne; Denis Walsh, Sam Byrne, Greg Kelly. Subs: Aaron Gargan for Byrne (47), Luke Murphy for O’Brien (55).

MTU CORK: Grantas Bucinskas; Fionn O’Connell, James O’Brien, Tadhg O’Leary Hayes; Cillian Ryan, Darragh O’Sullivan, Ronan Walsh; Ryan Deasy, Mikey Finn; Seán Walsh, Diarmuid Healy, Ruairí O’Connor; Alan Walsh, Johnny Murphy, Aaron McEvoy. Subs: Eoghan Varian for O’Brien (20-24), Mattie Kelleher for McEvoy (47), Varian for R Walsh, R Walsh for O’Connor (55), David O’Leary for O’Connell (58).

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).