Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup: UCC strike late to advance

Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup quarter-final

UCC 3-16 DCU 1-20

By Paul Keane at DCU sports grounds

UCC edged at cracker at St Clares to knock holders DCU out of the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup and move within touching distance of a 25th title themselves.

Stoppage time scores from Tom Cunningham and Cormac Dillon at DCU's sports grounds in Glasnevin ultimately tipped the tie the way of the 2023 champions.

But it was a cracking contest that could have gone either way and DCU can take consolation from playing their part in an epic quarter-final.

Goals from Ciaran Santry, Kerry senior Ruairi Murphy and a stunner from defender Jacob O'Driscoll were a big part of the win for Paul O'Keeffe's side.

UCC are now just an hour from a novel Croke Park final under lights on February 11 and will reflect on how well they hung in this game in the first-half despite playing into the stiff wind.

DCU, who came through the back door after losing to UL on the same pitch in Round 2A, had the wind in the first half and used it to run up a 1-12 to 1-8 lead.

They struck no less than five two-pointers in that first 30 minutes, Finbar McLoughlin grabbing the first of those in the seventh minute before going one better with a goal shortly after.

That left DCU 1-2 to no score up and they didn't actually do a whole pile wrong after that with Dublin duo Greg McEneaney and Lorcan O'Dell, as well as Westmeath's Senan Baker, striking four more two-pointers between them before half time.

The thing was, UCC were clinical and ultra efficient at the other end, playing into the wind but taking an impressive 1-8 from an attempts tally that just about got into double figures.

Santry's 24th minute goal, replicating his green flag against Queens in Round 2A, was a huge score, tying the game up at 1-7 apiece at that stage.

DCU were still four points ahead at the interval but it felt like it needed to be more and UCC duly capitalised with the wind after the restart.

Murphy flicked in the visitors' second goal in the 38th minute after a Conor Daly point attempt from a free outside the arc dropped short.

Daly was a key performer as UCC pushed on for a repeat of their 2024 Division 1 league final win on the same pitch.

The Clonakilty man finished with five points but set up several more and played a key role in the Santry goal.

O'Driscoll's 47th minute goal was the pick of the bunch from UCC, the number three powering through the centre and hammering to the net after a DCU plea for a free at the other end fell on deaf ears.

DCU's cause wasn't helped by the loss of Kildare attacker Ryan Sinkey with an apparent leg muscle injury late in the first half, a concern equally for Brian Flanagan and the Lilywhites.

DCU did get a punch from Westmeath senior Sam McCartan's introduction though and the Tailteann Cup winner registered a point along with another from McLoughlin.

That levelled the game and DCU surely would have sneaked it if either of their two late goal chances from Lorcan O'Dell and Senan Baker had hit the net. Baker in particular couldn't believe how UCC goalkeeper Austin Murphy managed to block his 59th minute attempt when the scores were tied.

And UCC took full advantage at the other end of the pitch, Cunningham and Dillon finishing off neat moves with stoppage time points that fired them through to within an hour of a Croke Park appearance.

UCC scorers: C Daly 0-5 (4f); R Murphy 1-1; J Horgan 0-4 (2 tp); C Santry, J O'Driscoll 1-0 each; M McSweeney (tp), C Dillon 0-2 each; O Corcoran, T Cunningham 0-1 each.

DCU scorers: F McLoughlin 1-5 (1 tp); L O'Dell (1 tp), S Baker (1 tp, 1 tpf) 0-4 each; G McEneaney (tp), C Dolan, M Tansley (tpf) 0-2 each; S McCartan 0-1.

UCC: A Murphy (Reenard, Kerry); D Peet (Clonakilty, Cork), J O'Driscoll (Valley Rovers, Cork), D O'Connor (Kenmare, Kerry); L Evans (Keel, Kerry), C Molloy (Nemo Rangers, Cork), C Kenneally (Clonakilty, Cork); M McSweeney (Knocknagree, Cork), T Cunningham (Kilshannig, Cork); O Corcoran (St Mary's, Cork), R Murphy (Listry, Kerry), J Horgan (Firies, Kerry); C Dillon (Duagh, Kerry), C Daly (Clonakilty, Cork), C Santry (Carbery Rangers, Cork).

Subs: E Daly (Valentia, Kerry) for Corcoran (29); H Ahearne (Ballincollig, Cork) for Evans (48); K O'Reilly (Carrigaline, Cork) for Santry (58); D Desmond (Ballincollig, Cork) for Horgan (69).

DCU: M Tansley (Austin Stacks, Kerry), E O'Connor Flanagan (Skerries Harps, Dublin), L Kelly (Ratoath, Meath), B Masterson (Abbeylara, Longford); E Ward (Fuerty, Roscommon), G McEneaney (Skerries Harps, Dublin), C Lynch (Glenflesk, Kerry); C Heffernan (Killeshin, Laois), E Dunne (Skerries Harps, Dublin); F McLoughlin (Westport, Mayo), S Baker (Caulry, Westmeath), D Swords (Caragh, Kildare); R Sinkey (Kildare), L O'Dell (Templeogue Synge St., Dublin), J Tumulty (Padraig Pearses, Roscommon).

Subs: C Dolan (Man O'War, Dublin) for Sinkey (19); S McCartan (St Loman's, Westmeath) for Kelly (h/t); T Baker (Caulry, Westmeath) for Masterson (45); S Carr (Four Masters, Donegal) for Tumulty (48).

Ref: C Dourneen (Cavan).