It seemed a long shot in the early stages, but yesterday's AIB Leinster hurling semi-final between UCD and St Anne's went all the way to the wire. A small crowd at a sunny Pairc Ui Siochain, Gorey, were kept on tenterhooks as the Wexford champions launched a great second-half comeback but they ran out of road before catching the students.
The Dublin representatives just about deserved the victory as they played the best hurling of the afternoon in the first half and showed a fair bit of nerve in weathering their opponents' recovery. The difference between the teams was defined by their accuracy.
Whereas UCD posted a meagre six wides, St Anne's more than doubled that total. When the match was on the line, in the last 10 minutes, UCD found the vital openings and scored two vital points in the closing 20 minutes against 1-5 for St Anne's.
It was the 51st-minute introduction of former Limerick hurler Sean O'Neill that turned back the St Anne's tide. Brought in to put a brake on Rory Stafford, O'Neill immediately took his team's first score for a quarter of an hour and within seconds set up another for Jim Byrne. These scores made the ultimate difference.
What turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable match began less promisingly as UCD clocked up scores with ominous efficiency. By the 21st minute, they had slowed down a bit but still led by 0-5 to no score. Three of the points came from centre forward Byrne with the Wexford All-Ireland-winning panellist well into the rhythm of what was to be a flawless afternoon's free-taking.
The St Anne's supporters were irritated at the number of frees awarded against them by referee Paddy Neary, but their more physical game frequently left them little room for manoeuvre in the closer exchanges.
As a team UCD were fluid and effective. David Hegarty commanded his own 40 although he was to come under pressure in the second half, Rory Moore played exceptionally at midfield, hoovering up ball and striking one marvellous point. On the wings, Paul Ormond was a formidable presence and Pat Fitzgerald got onto a lot of ball and bombarded the forwards.
It was just as well for St Anne's that their defence was so resilient during the opening half-hour. If their half backs were fighting a losing battle, the full backs compensated. Donal Berry guarded his square calmly under great pressure while in the corners Paul French had a great game on Brendan Murphy and Charlie White just about restrained Michael Gordon. In one seventh-minute passage, Berry, French and goalkeeper Padraig Power pulled off four blocks as the students pounded away on goal.
Power was called into action again just before half-time to scramble away a Noel Murphy tap which looked to be crossing the line. It was kept out to keep the margin to five, 0-7 to 0-2 at the interval, with Redmond Barry's free-taking the only obvious route to the scoreboard for St Anne's.
As is the usual prescription in such circumstances, the Wexford club came out of the traps in a hurry on the restart and Jack Berry pointed within 40 seconds but the storm quickly blew itself out as UCD hit three in reply for a seven-point lead.
All year St Anne's have appeared to wait until they had a sufficiently daunting deficit to chase. Most notably in the county final, they gave Oulart eight points and survived. Yesterday at the seven-point stage they rallied. In the 43rd minute, Francis Simpson scored a goal with the hurling equivalent of a pushover try.
With the margin trimmed, the blitz began. Jack Berry won a mountain of ball on the 40 to initiate attacks but unfortunately his accuracy wasn't commensurate with his ball-winning capacity and a succession of wides resulted.
Still the gap narrowed, and but for O'Neill's intervention, Kilkenny's Graigue-Ballycallan might be waiting another while to learn the identity of their final opponents.
UCD: M Lyons; B Walton, S Lucey, C Murphy; H Flannery, D Hegarty, C Everard (0-1); R Moore (0-1), D O'Gorman; P Fitzgerald, J Byrne (0-6, four frees), P Ormond (0-1); M Gordon (0-1), N Murphy (0-1), B Murphy. Subs: R Kirwan for Walton (18 mins); S O'Neill (0-1) for O'Gorman (51 mins); J Berkery for N Murphy (60 mins).
ST ANNE'S: P Power; P French, Donal Berry, C White; K Byrne, D Ryan, G Barry; J Simpson, R Stafford (0-1); R Barry (0-5, all frees), J Berry (0-1), D O'Connor; R Doyle (0-1), Diarmuid Berry, F Simpson (1-0). Subs: S Berry for O'Connor (57 mins).
Referee: P Neary (Kilkenny).
