NOT even the gifted exuberance of the winners, University College Cork, could quite mask the sense of disappointment that yesterday's Fitzgibbon Cup final, sponsored by Bus Eireann, had turned out so one-sided. The stuttering resistance of the University of Limerick never struck a sufficiently fluent sequence to get the match back on the track as a contest.

It was a high-scoring final and a number of the scores were of excellent quality. But from their concession of an eighth-minute goal, UL were unable to cut the margin below three points. In the end they lost by nine, 0-16 to 3-16.

From another perspective, the scoreline was misleading distorted by UL's frantic attempts to score the goals that might have opened up the match but which instead evaporated as lost chances. But without doubt, the best team went home with the Fitzgibbon.

Saturday's semi-finals had lived up to the 1996 Fitzgibbon's reputation as one of the more open. UCC emerged certainly looking the most stylish hurlers after their semi-final against Maynooth, but Limerick's resilience and ability to hold their nerve under pressure - perfectly exhibited against Garda College - sent them into yesterday's final slight favourites in the minds of many.

As can happen, things turned out quite differently. Limerick might have had an edge in a close or tight match, but that never came to pass. They were always chasing UCC and conceding vital scores each time they looked to have made up enough ground to launch a serious challenge.

In addition, UL's sluggishness explained in the semi-final as symptomatic of a dour match turned out to be a more general problem and they never did themselves justice in the final.

The winners' attack ran uninhibitedly through the weekend, with all six forwards scoring in both semi-final and final for an aggregate weekend total of 5-28.

Behind them, they were well supported by the dominance of Tim Coffey and the elegant Alan Cummins at midfield and a competent defence, at the heart of which centre back Johnny Collins was named Player of the Tournament. Goalkeeper John O'Brien was also outstanding in the execution of crucial saves that prevented UL making any breakthrough.

In the eighth minute, with the score 0-2 each, a long free by full-back Frank Lohan dropped in invitingly for Joe Deane to tip to the net. As was characteristic of them over the weekend, UCC then hit a productive scoring streak with John Enright, Donal O'Mahony and Kieran Morrison sending over five points to move UCC to 1-7 with UL fading into the distance on 0-4.

Even the hopes faintly raised by Limerick's slightly increased tempo turned to dust in the 25th minute when Eoin O'Neill was taken down for a penalty which O'Mahony - as he had done in the semi-final - drilled into the net.

The interval score of 2-9 to 0-5 offered little hope of a Limerick recovery. The Enright brothers, Eddie and Johnny from Tipperary, on UCC's half-forward line posed a constant threat, and if the remaining four forwards were more fitful in their contributions, all were well capable of taking scores. The consequent pressure on UL's defence was enormous.

Furthermore, their attack was malfunctioning. Seven wides in the first half was too much for a team in trouble on the scoreboard. Colm O'Doherty, whose free-taking economy had been so impressive against Garda College, was off-key, and Gerry Maguire - again, hugely important in the semi-final - worked hard but was hindered by his besetting desire to take the ball to hand.

It was much to their credit that UL clattered away from the restart. Sean McMahon began to make his presence felt both at centre back, and further afield. Three of his team's opening four points were attributable to MeMahon - two long-range frees and a solo burst which set up David Forde - and again hopes of revival flickered.

UCC were kept comfortably afloat by their capacity to pick off scores whenever the opportunity presented itself. UL continued to press, but never looked quite capable of nicking goals and, even when presented with a chance, O'Brien was impenetrable in UCC's goal - one save from Brian O'Driscoll was particularly memorable.

Nonetheless, UL took the gin to six points, 0-13 to 2-13, but that was as far as it went. In the 52nd minute, Eddie Enright chased a long free from Collins to the net, and everyone knew that nine points in eight minutes was too tall an order.

There had been signs of all this in the semi-finals where Maynooth were also unable to stem the UCC tide. But they did take advantage of the Cork college's rest periods and trimmed the final margin to six points. Dara Coen was the main weapon in Maynooth's armoury; he scored 1-5 and created other scores. But having trailed 0-1 to 2-5 after little over 10 minutes, the losers were always struggling to escape a massacre - which, to their credit, they eventually did.

Garda College probably still aren't sure how they lost to UL in the second semi-final. Having laboriously but inexorably turned a two-point half-time deficit into a 1-8 to 1-6 lead, the gardai could only watch as UL - starved of the ball for much of the second half - made their three serious incursions on the Garda goal pay in the closing minutes.

Colm O'Doherty averted extra-time with his last-minute 40-metre free to slip UL into their decisive 1-9 to 1-8 lead before Garda's Damien Cleere watched his considerably longer-range effort fade to the right.