It's been a busy day of action so far in the Fitzgibbon Cup, with UL, LIT and NUI Galway all taking big steps towards the quarter-finals.

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INDEPENDENT.IE HIGHER EDUCATION FITZGIBBON CUP GROUP C: NUI GALWAY 3-18 DIT 2-7

By Declan Rooney

Two goals from John Fox in the last two minutes of the first-half helped NUI Galway rekindle their Fitzgibbon Cup hopes with a convincing victory over DIT at Dangan on Thursday afternoon.

All Star Cathal Mannion also weighed in with 1-2 for Tony Ward's side, who must beat champions UL next week to be in with a realistic chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages.

NUI Galway were dominant for the most part and only eased off their opponents in the final quarter when goals from Jack Guiney and Jude Sweeney closed the gap.

NUI Galway led by 3-12 to 0-4 at half-time after a brilliant 30 minutes saw the Galway students recover from last week's loss at the same venue to Mary Immaculate.

Galway seniors Conor Whelan and Padraic Mannion were back to their best in this encounter. Whelan hit three exquisite points in the first-half whistle wing-back Mannion added two from distance in a dominant display.

By the end of the first quarter NUI Galway led by 0-7 to 0-3, but when Cathal Mannion goaled in the 21st minute the win was all but guaranteed. To their credit DIT rallied after the break with Lee Chin and Glenn Whelan to the fore, but only a big win against Mary Immaculate next week can rescue their campaign now.

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Scorers for NUI Galway: B Duggan 0-7 (5f), J Fox 2-0, C Mannion 1-2, C Whelan 0-3, P Mannion 0-2, N O'Brien 0-2, O Donnellan 0-2

Scorers for DIT: J Guiney 1-0, J Sweeney 1-0, D McNicholas 0-2 (1f), G Whelan 0-2, AJ Murphy 0-1, C O'Donoghue 0-1 (1'65), L Chin 0-1.

NUI GALWAY (Galway unless stated): C Tuohy; C Ryan (Tipperary), B Fitzpatrick (Clare), G Forde; S Cooney, J Hanbury, P Mannion; N O'Brien (Westmeath), O Donnellan (Clare); B Duggan (Clare), K McHugo, M Mullins; J Fox (Limerick), C Whelan, C Mannion. Subs: E Brannigan for O'Brien (43), R Taylor for Fox (46), L Kilcline (Roscommon) for Cooney (53), A Helebert for Mullins (53), R Lane for Donnellan (60).

**DIT (Dublin unless stated): **P McKenna (Kildare); S McClelland, T Doyle (Westmeath), C Robinson; D Guinan (Offaly), W Irish (Kilkenny), S Barrett; G Whelan, L Chin (Wexford); R Greville (Westmeath), J Guiney (Wexford), C Sheehan (Limerick); AJ Murphy, D McNicholas (Westmeath), D Mottram (Galway). **Subs: **J Sweeney for Murphy (h-t), C O'Donoghue (Kilkenny) for Mottram (39), E McInerney (Clare) for Sheehan (41).

**Referee: **Kevin McGeeney (Roscommon).

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INDEPENDENT.IE HIGHER EDUCATION FITZGIBBON CUP GROUP C: MARY IMMACULATE 3-14 UL 5-15

By John Fallon

Two early goals from Tommy Heffernan provided the perfect platform for UL to score a deserved win over neighbours Mary I in an entertaining Limerick Fitzgibbon Cup derby.

Those two goals in the opening five minutes by the Eire Óg Nenagh clubman helped UL race into a 2-6 to 0-3 lead despite playing against the wind. But Brian Lohan’s men didn’t have it all their own way and a goal from Limerick’s Declan Hannon sparked a good revival for the home college.

Conor Twomey, Colm Galvin and Stephen Cahill followed with points for Eamon Cregan’s men as they cut the gap and they turned around trailing by 2-8 to 1-9.

UL brought in Clare’s Cathal McInerney at the break and the All-Ireland winner shot three points in the opening four minutes of the second-half. And they looked to be on their way to a facile win when Jason Forde found the net with a long range free and then Pat Ryan got their fourth to lead by 4-14 to 1-12 with eleven minutes left.

But Mary I never gave up and a goal from Sean Linnane gave them hope before Declan Hannon fired home his second goal and Galvin pointed to leave four between them five minutes from the end.

However, the revival came to an abrupt halt when Kevin O’Brien blasted home UL’s fifth goal in the closing stages.

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Scorers for UL: T Heffernan 2-2, J McGrath 0-5 (2f, 1 ’65), J Forde 1-1 (1-1f), C McInerney 0-3, P Ryan 1-0, K O’Brien 1-0, D Fitzgerald 0-1, T Morrissey 0-1, C Martin 0-1, K Hehir 0-1.

Scorers for Mary Immaculate: D Hannon 2-1, D O’Donovan 0-6 (4f), S Linnane 1-0, C Galvin 0-2, C Twomey 0-1, D Reidy 0-1, M O’Neill 0-1, T Stapleton 0-1, S Cahill 0-1.

**UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: P Maher (Tipperary); S Finn (Limerick), J Browne (Clare), S Roche (Galway); A McGuane (Clare), G Hegarty (Limerick), B Stapleton (Tipperary); K Hehir (Clare), T Heffernan (Tipperary); J Forde (Tipperary), T Morrissey (Limerick), C Martin (Kilkenny); J McGrath (Tipperary), K O’Brien (Limerick), D Fitzgerald (Clare). Subs: **B Heffernan (Tipperary) for Finn (28), C McInerney for Hegarty (30), P Ryan (Limerick) for Fitzgerald (47), L O’Sullivan for Morrissey (57).

**MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE: **M O Conghaile (Galway); E Quirke (Clare), R English (Limerick), A Flynn (Tipperary); C Twomey (Cork), J Meagher (Tipperary), R Maher (Tipperary); T Stapleton (Tipperary), C Galvin (Clare); D Reidy (Limerick), D O’Donovan (Limerick), M O’Neill (Clare); D Corry (Clare), D Hannon (Limerick), S Cahill (Tipperary). Subs: S Linnane (Galway) for Reidy (29), C Barry (Cork) for O’Neill (45), S Taylor for Stapleton (50), M O’Loughlin (Clare) for Cahill (51).

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)

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INDEPENDENT.IE HIGHER EDUCATION FITZGIBBON CUP GROUP D: UU JORDANSTOWN 1-14 CORK IT 1-18

By Orla Bannon

Tipperary star John O'Dwyer will miss Cork IT's Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final after receiving a straight red card in Thursday's Group D win over UUJ in Belfast.

O'Dwyer scored 0-8, five of his points coming in the first half to help the visitors to a 0-10 to 0-9 lead at the break.

He was given a straight red in the 45th minute for striking Jordanstown defender Niall Devlin. Pa White's goal early in the second half put CIT in control, the visitors coasting into a 1-16 to 0-12 lead after 50 minutes.

James Connolly replied with a 53rd minute goal for Jordanstown, who now must beat GMIT in next week's Group D game to progress to the quarter-finals.

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**Scorers for UUJ: **N McKeague 0-5 (3f, 1 '65'), J Connolly 1-1, S McAfee 0-2, G Walsh 0-2 (2f), D McKernan 0-1, T Ó Ciarán 0-1, J McGreevy 0-1, J O'Connell 0-1

Scorers for CIT: J O'Dwyer 0-8 (3f, 2 '65s'), P White 1-0, A Coffey 0-2, M Kearney 0-2, J Cronin 0-2, C Hammersley 0-1, D Noonan 0-1, N McNamara 0-1 each, J Cashman 0-1 (1f)

**UUJ: **R Courtney (Armagh); N Devlin (Antrim), S Rooney (Antrim), R Brannigan (Down); G Walsh (Antrim), T Mannion (Galway), T O Ciaran (Antrim); D McKernan (Antrim), M Dudley (Antrim); J McGreevy (Antrim), S McAfee (Antrim), A Kelly (Tyrone); J Connolly (Antrim), J O'Connell (Antrim), N McKeague (Antrim). Subs: A Dooey (Antrim) for Dudley (23), J O'Dwyer (Derry) for McKeague (53), M Dudley (Antrim) for Devlin (51), M McCartin (Antrim) for Kelly (59), A Curtin (Cork) for O'Connell (59).

CIT: G Minehan (Cork); S Murphy (Cork), M Russell (Cork), C Hammersley (Tipperary); D Noonan (Cork), R Barry (Waterford), A Coffey (Tipperary); B Cooper (Cork), B Reddan (Laois); M Kearney (Waterford), J Cronin (Cork), R Hannelly (Limerick); N McNamara (Cork), J O'Dwyer (Tipperary), P White (Cork). Subs: J Cashman (Cork) for Reddan (HT), K O'Neill (Cork) for Hannelly (HT), A Dorgan (Cork) for White (53), S Manning (Cork) for Noonan (58).

Referee: Brian Brady (Louth)

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INDEPENDENT.IE HIGHER EDUCATION FITZGIBBON CUP GROUP A: LIMERICK IT 0-18 UCD 1-14

By Daragh Small

Promising Clare youngster Peter Duggan shot the winner for LIT as they earned a valuable Group A Fitzgibbon Cup win over UCD by the minimum.

The Limerick college looked as though they were cruising to victory at LIT. They were three points up before James Maher bagged a tonic goal. Yet Duggan turned beautifully and sent over the crucial score, as Oisin O’Rourke saw his effort waved wide at the other end.

UCD had the wind in the first-half but could only manage to draw 0-8 to 0-6 clear at half-time, even though they LIT shot ten wides. Joe Campion hit the first for LIT after four minutes but then it was all UCD – O’Rourke got their first and fifth from the placed-ball as they led 0-5 to 0-1.

Conor O’Shea sent over a huge free from inside his own half to give them a 0-6 to 0-2 lead after 19 minutes. But the hosts didn’t cave. And driven by Diarmaid Byrnes and David Reidy they only trailed by two at half-time.

Reidy hit four frees as they drew level with 19 minutes left, and although UCD tacked on the scores Byrnes put his side in front. Shane Gleeson’s effort in the 56th minute pushed LIT three clear, and despite Maher’s goal the 2007 winners held on.

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Scorers for LIT: D Reidy 0-6 (5f), D Byrnes 0-6 (2f, 0-1 ’65), J Campion 0-3, M O’Malley 0-1, P Duggan 0-1, S Gleeson 0-1.

Scorers for UCD: J Maher 1-1, O O’Rourke 0-4 (3f), S Moran 0-3, C O’Shea 0-2 (1f), C O’Callagan 0-1, E Conroy 0-1, R King 0-1, T O’Leary 0-1.

LIT: E Quilligan (Feakle, Clare); N O’Connor (Newmarket-on-Fergus, Clare), K Bennett (Ballysaggart, Waterford), C Nolan (Smith O’Briens, Clare); W Ryan (Clonakenny, Tipperary), C Barrett (Holycross/Ballycahill, Tipperary), O O’Brien (Clonara, Clare); D Byrnes (Patrickswell, Limerick), D Reidy (Eire Og Ennis, Clare); P Killeen (Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry, Galway), P Duggan (Clooney/Quinn, Clare), J Campion (Borris/Kilcotton, Laois); J Shanahan (Sixmilebridge, Clare), N Maher (Doon, Limerick), M O’Malley (Kilmaley, Clare). Subs: S Gleeson (Cratloe, Clare) for Killeen (28 mins), W Connors (Kildangan, Tipperary) for Nolan (34), S McGrath (Feakle, Clare) for Maher (52).

UCD: D Holohan (Dicksboro, Kilkenny); P Hannon (St Mary’s Athenry, Galway), S Murphy (Buffers Alley, Wexford), E Conroy (Naomh Éanna, Wexford); J Madden (Ballyboden St Enda’s, Dublin), C O’Callaghan (Cuala, Dublin), C O’Shea (Clara, Kilkenny); H Lawlor (O’Loughlin’s, Kilkenny), S Moran (Cuala, Dublin); J Maher (St Lachtain’s, Kilkenny), C Prendergast (Clara, Kilkenny), C Cronin (Cuala, Dublin); R King (Rathdowney-Errill, Laois), O O’Rourke (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin), J O’Connor (St Martin’s, Wexford). Subs: P Guinan (Drumcullen, Offaly) for O’Connor (17 mins), T O’Leary (Buffers Alley, Wexford) for Prendergast (30), T Phelan (Conaghy, Kilkenny) for Cronin (30), C Devitt (Naomh Eanna, Wexford) for Lawlor (47), J Mullaney (Stradbally, Waterford) for Phelan (58, blood).

Referee: Diarmaid Kirwan (Cork).