Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup: University of Galway triumph in Belfield
Shane McGrath, University of Galway, and Callum Bolton, UCD, in Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup action. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup Quarter-Final
UCD 0-14 University of Galway 0-15
By Rory Traynor at Belfield
There was drama in Belfield as a late two pointer from Shane McGrath was enough to send University of Galway through to the semi finals of the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup, knocking out last year’s beaten finalists UCD.
The game was almost 10 minutes old before the first score from the boot of UCD’s Ben O’Carroll. Two quickfire points from inside men Niall Hurley and Joe Quigley followed to send the home side into an early lead.
A black card for midfielder Ger Davoren didn’t help matters for University of Galway, who had to wait until the 21st minute to register their first score from the boot of Mark McInerney, at which stage they trailed by four points.
Mayo’s Niall Hurley notched three points in a row, and the lively O’Carroll rounded off the scored for UCD, leaving the home side six point to the good at the break.
O’Carroll picked up where he left off after the restart with a pointed free, however a massive Eoin Colleran two pointer sparked a comeback for UoG. Maurice Sheridan's outfit hit the next five scores of the match, including a couple of two pointers from McInerney and Cillian O’Curraoin, with the latter sending them into the lead for the first time.
At such a crucial stage in the game, St. Brigid’s star O’Carroll was forced off after taking a knock, with Hurley tapping over the resulting free to level the match.
Pacey UCD forward Luke Breathnach put the home side in the lead once more, before McInerney levelled affairs. Up stepped Galway’s Shane McGrath who kicked the score of the game from deep to raise the orange flag, sending University of Galway one step closer to a final date in Croke Park.
Scorers for University of Galway: Mark McInerney 0-6 (1tp), Cillian O’Curraoin 0-4 (1tp, 1f), Eoin Colleran 0-3 (1tp), Shane McGrath 0-2 (1tp).
Scorers for UCD: Niall Hurley 0-5 (2fs), Ben O’Carroll 0-4 (1f), Darragh Reilly 0-1, Joe Quigley 0-1, Jamie Brown 0-1, Bobby Nugent 0-1, Luke Breathnach 0-1.
University of Galway: Cillian Walsh; Conor Corcoran, Colm Moriarty, Jack Folan; Mike Moughan, Brian Cogger, Canice Mulligan; Ger Davoren, Sean Hansberry; Conor Sheridan, Tom O’Flaherty, Shane McGrath; Mark McInerney, Cillian O’Curraoin, Eoin Colleran.
Subs: Liam O’Conghaile, John, McGonigle, Colm Mac Donnacha.
UCD: Ben McCarron; Michael Spillane, Oisin O’Toole, Diarmuid Duffy; Liam Smith, Darragh Varley, Sam Callinan; Ben O’Carroll, Peter Duffy; Luke Breathnach, Callum Bolton, James McCormack; Darragh Reilly, Joe Quigley, Niall Hurley.
Subs: Rian McConnell, Sam Smyth, Patrick Moran, Jamie Browne, Bobby Nugent.
Referee: Alan Coyne.
