Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup: UL overcome spirited UCC

Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup Quarter-Final

UL 0-20 UCC 0-12

By Kevin Egan at UL

The formlines couldn’t have been more stark coming into this contest, with UL laying waste to all opponents while UCC were still playing under the cloud of a derby defeat to MTU Cork.

Add in the star-studded nature of this University of Limerick team and this Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup tie was widely expected to be quite comfortable for the home side at Maguire’s Fields.

It was anything but, for three quarters of the game at least. And neither was it a case of UL struggling for form, as UCC played like a side representing the college that won this competition a record 40 times.

Accuracy was something of a bugbear for the visiting side from Cork in the first half, while UL still showed their slickness and quality on several occasions.

Darragh McCarthy and Adam Screeney linked up really well in the UL full-forward line four days before they will likely line out on opposite sides in the Allianz League at Glenisk O’Connor Park, while UL shrugged off the loss of Cathal O’Neill from their half-back line, where Colin Coughlan excelled behind the effervescent Adam English.

With 12 minutes on the clock UL had scored five out of the game’s first six points and everything was going according to the accepted script.

Then Hugh O’Connor flashed a shot over the bar from close range, Darragh Stakelum started to become more of a factor at midfield to temper English’s influence, and William Buckley picked off some points.

A superb save from Paudie O’Sullivan, one of several fine plays from the Fr. O’Neill’s club man who is making a strong bid for more playing time with Cork seniors this year, denied Adam Screeney, and gradually the confidence that the MTU defeat sapped out of UCC started to return.

Colin Walsh earned a free that Buckley converted and a final point from play from the St. Finbarr’s corner forward made it 0-8 to 0-6 at half-time, with what little wind there was set to favour UCC after the interval.

Eight first half wides was a lot to leave behind however and even though UL had seven of their own in the first half – five shots and two long passes that over-ran – the home side were that bit more clinical as they started to ratchet up the pressure after the turnaround.

Hugh O’Connor split the uprights from the left sideline but UL scored twice either side of that point, while a Ciarmhac Smyth block on Darragh Flynn’s ground pull was yet another “what if” moment for the Rebel County university.

Adam English scored the point of the day under heavy pressure as he was being forced out over the sideline, Diarmuid Stritch shook off tackles to keep the scoreboard moving and when Jack O’Neill pointed to put more than two goals between the sides with 10 minutes remaining.

UCC's Eoin Downey and Michael Mullaney were red carded late on.

Scorers for UL: Darragh McCarthy 0-9 (7fs), Adam English 0-2, Diarmuid Stritch 0-2, Adam Screeney 0-2, Fintan Fitzgerald 0-1, Jack O’Neill 0-1, Aidan O’Connor, 0-1, Joe Fitzgerald 0-1, Jack Leahy 0-1.

Scorers for UCC: William Buckley 0-7 (4fs), Brian Keating 0-2, Hugh O’Connor 0-2, Colin Walsh 0-1.

UL: Darach Fahy; Aaron Morgan, John Conneally, Ciarmhac Smyth; Killian Doyle, Mark Fitzgerald, Colin Coughlan; Adam English, Joe Fitzgerald; Diarmuid Stritch, Jack O’Neill, Oisín O’Donoghue; Darragh McCarthy, Aidan O’Connor, Adam Screeney.

Subs: Darragh Langan for Morgan (38), Jack Leahy for Screeney (46), Fintan Fitzgerald for Doyle (55), Oisín Fitzgerald for Coughlan (temporary, 57-59), O Fitzgerald for Smyth (60+2).

UCC: Paudie O’Sullivan; Eoin Guinane, Shane Kingston, Kevin Lyons; James Dwyer, Eoin Downey, Timmy Wilk; Oran O’Regan, Brian Keating; Hugh O’Connor, Peter McGarry, Darragh Stakelum; William Buckley, Colin Walsh, Darragh Flynn.

Subs: Seán Daly for Lyons (38), Robert Troy for McGarry (43), Finn O’Brien for Flynn, Michael Mullaney for O’Regan (55).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway).