FITZGIBBON CUP - FINAL/Univ of Limerick ... 2-14 Waterford IT ... 2-11: THE UL hurlers held their nerve to clinch victory in yesterday's entertaining Fitzgibbon Cup final. UL were the better team for much of the contest, and with 15 minutes remaining were four points to the good and looking comfortable.

But when Damien Murray hit his second goal for WIT, and Henry Shefflin quickly followed with a point, the match was tied 1-11 to 2-8 and it was anyone's game.

At critical junctures like this in a match, the team that takes the game by the scruff of the neck always comes out on top.

Yesterday UL did. Or, rather, Richie Murray did. The young Galway midfielder hit two fantastic long-range points in the 49th minute that lifted his team-mates and set UL on course for victory.

The win was copperfastened two minutes into stoppage time when substitute Mick O'Hara took advantage of a fumble by WIT goalkeeper Damien Young and rattled the net. WIT did hit hit back with a late pointed free from Mick Fitzgerald.

UL: T Houlihan (Limerick), B Mahoney (Galway), J Devane (Tipperary), D Gleeson (Tipperary), C Forde (Clare), B Geary (Limerick), C Earley (Clare), R Murray (Galway) (0-3), J Barron (Kilkenny) (0-1); C Fitzgerald (Cork) (0-7, 6 frees), N Moran (Limerick), E Fitzgerald, D Donoghue (Galway) (0-1), D Forde (Galway) (0-2), D Sheehan (Limerick) (1-0). Subs: P O'Reilly (Limerick) for Gleeson (42 mins), M O'Hara (Offaly) (1-0) for Donoghue (57).

WIT: D Young (Tipperary), D Joyce (Galway), P Curran (Tipperary), JJ Delaney (Kilkenny), M Fitzgerald (Cork) (0-1, free), J Brady (Offaly), J O'Neill (Kilkenny), A Geoghan (Kilkenny) (0-1), G Coleman (Wexford), M Jacob (Wexford) (0-1), F Flynn (Clare) (0-2), S O'Hailpin (Cork), B Dowling (Kilkenny), H Shefflin (Kilkenny) (0-2), D Murray (Offaly) (2-4, 4 frees). Subs: S Browne (Offaly) for Dowling (40); N Murphy (Cork) for Flynn (59).

Referee: J McDonnell (Tipperary)

RYAN CUP FINAL: DCU 1-13, St Pat's 0-11.