Gaelic Games

UCD bow out of Fitzgibbon Cup as UL make finals weekend

Manager Nicky English loses out to old Clare foe Brian Lohan

UL’s Kevin O’Brien scrambles for possession with Matthew O’Hanlon of UCD. Photograph: Inpho/Ryan Byrne
UL’s Kevin O’Brien scrambles for possession with Matthew O’Hanlon of UCD. Photograph: Inpho/Ryan Byrne
Thu Feb 19 2015 - 11:51

University of Limerick 0-18

University College Dublin 0-15

The long Fitzgibbon Cup famine for University College Dublin will continue for at least another year after they were dumped out of the competition at the quarter-final stage.

Managed by Tipperary great Nicky English, UCD coughed up a four-point half-time lead against hosts University of Limerick. Inspired by Tipperary's John McGrath and Kilkenny man Conor Martin, UL hit 10 points without reply after half-time to turn a 0-5 to 0-9 interval deficit into a six-point advantage.

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To their credit, UCD did rally to within a point, 0-14 to 0-15, but UL kicked for home with three points, including two supplied by former dual All-Ireland minor medallist McGrath.

Conor O’Shea’s long-range free cut the gap to a goal and O’Shea was denied an equalising goal from a 20-metre free deep in stoppage time.

Ultimately, this was a deserved victory for 2011 winners UL, as UCD’s competition drought goes on. UCD have not won the Fitzgibbon Cup since 2001 but even without injured Clare duo Tony Kelly and David McInerney, both suffering with hamstring problems, UL were too good.

UL had the wind at their backs in the second half and the points flowed freely, including one touchline beauty from Martin. McGrath, called into the Tipperary senior panel this year, was also on song as the younger brother of Noel performed so well in the first half that his marker, Kilkenny All Star Cillian Buckley, switched wing-back positions.

UCD had six frees from Laois native Ross King, split evenly between both halves. However, this was a day when UL manager and Clare great Brian Lohan got one over on his former sparring partner English.

UL: P Maher; J Browne, B Troy, G Ryan; D Quinn, J Forde (0-2, 1f, 1 65), B Stapleton (0-1); D Morrissey (0-1), A McGuane; J McGrath (0-7, 5f), C Martin (0-4, 1f), PJ Scully; K O'Brien, S Bennett (0-1), T Heffernan (0-2). Sub: T Cleary for Scully (56).

UCD: B Leydon; E Conroy, M O'Hanlon, C McDonagh; J Lyng, C O'Shea (0-1f), C Buckley; C O'Callaghan, P Purcell (0-2); C Cronin (0-1), C Devitt (0-2), J O'Connor (0-1); O O'Rourke, G Sinnott (0-1), R King (0-6, all frees). Subs: D Mulligan (0-1) for O'Callaghan (42), C Conway for O'Connor (47), S Aylward for Purcell (56), M Brennan for Cronin (59).

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).