Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup: Impressive Mary I advance

Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup Quarter-Final

MICL 3-22 UCD 0-13

By Kevin Egan at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick

Limerick colleges have won eight out of the last 10 renewals of the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup, Mary Immaculate College, winners of this famous competition in 2016, 2017 and again two years ago, confirmed their status as genuine contenders to continue that run of success with an emphatic win over UCD.

They perhaps weren’t quite as dominant as a final winning margin of 18 points would suggest. On their home pitch, in excellent condition given all the recent rainfall, they took a 1-12 to 0-8 lead into the dressing room at half-time, but were absolute flattered by that scoreline at the end of what was a very competitive 30 minutes of hurling.

Both teams looked to move the ball fast and with purpose, both tried to play on the front foot and both were guilty of errant passes and turnovers at times. However UCD handed Mary I three crucial scores through simple giveaways, the most hurtful a handpass that was intercepted by Shane Walsh and emphatically finished to the bottom corner of the UCD net by the Tullaroan man.

UCD were also 6-2 “ahead” on the wide count at half-time, having left a few very scorable chances behind them. Conal Ó Ríain and David Lee each put their name on fine individual points while Peter McDonald hoisted over a gargantuan strike from his centre back position, but Mary I were little short of metronomic.

Shane O’Brien was central to this as ‘The Bull’ shot six points by half-time which included one 65 and three frees from further out again. Defensively Mary I stepped up to the mark as well, one highlight being Eoin Lawless’ block down on James Duggan and then forcing a wide from the Laois county man after he scooped up the break.

Oisín O’Farrell caught the headlines earlier this month when he fired in a remarkable 4-3 in MICL’s win over SETU Waterford to get this campaign up and running.

In the second half he showed his goalscoring edge was as sharp as ever as he found the net twice, both with clever and thoughtful finishes at the end of strong runs that saw him explode past his direct marker. His first was a delightful flick over the head of the onrushing Seán McGrath and the second, this time from the left corner, was no less composed and precise.

UCD could have reduced the gap further had they taken a couple of handy points but they chased goals in an effort to get back into the game and aside from a couple of high balls, never really testing Darragh Walsh in the Mary I goal.

Even after O’Brien and O’Farrell were withdrawn, Mary I didn’t miss a beat with Shane Walsh taking over the frees, taking on four dead balls to ensure that Jamie Wall’s side would sail into the last four with no small amount of momentum.

Scorers for MICL: Oisín O’Farrell 2-3, Shane O’Brien 0-8 (5fs, 1 65), Shane Walsh 1-5 (4fs), Adam Daly 0-3, Eoin Craddock 0-1, Ronan O’Connor 0-1, Seán Whelan 0-1.

Scorers for UCD: David Williams 0-3 (2fs), Luke Connellan 0-2, Conal Ó Ríain 0-2, Peter McDonald 0-2, David Lee 0-1, Daire Guerin 0-1, Simon Roche 0-1, Dara Purcell 0-1.

MICL: Darragh Walsh; Conor Lawless, Bobby Drohan, Eoin Lawless; Cian Scully, Jimmy Quilty, Donnchadha Campbell; Darragh Whelan, Ronan O’Connor; Eoin Craddock, Shane Walsh, Adam Daly; Oisín O’Farrell, Shane O’Brien, Seán Boyce.

Subs: Mark Callinan for Boyce (8), Seán Whelan for Craddock (19), Mikey Gavin for Scully (43), Ben Currivan for O’Brien (47), Patrick Finn for O’Farrell (50).

UCD: Seán McGrath; Peter Connellan, Eoin Ryan, Joe Pearson; Daire Guerin, Peter McDonald, David Lucey; Fionán Mahony, Conal Ó Ríain; Luke Connellan, Simon Roche, David Lee; James Duggan, David Williams, Dara Purcell.

Subs: Pádraig Rafter for Mahony (35), Diarmuid Ó Dúlaing for Duggan (40), James Conheady for Lee (50), Cian Ó Túama for Pearson (50), Cian McCarthy for Connellan (50), Justim Moran for Guerin (53).

Referee: John Bugler (Clare).