In some ways the worst was kept to last. Yesterday's Heineken Sigerson Cup final was dogged by bad weather and a gluepot pitch and from an aesthetic point of view provided an anti-climax to an exciting weekend's football. In other ways, though, the finale was tense and absorbing before Queen's ran out deserved winners against UCD after extra-time at Moycullen.

The weekend was a success. Well organised by NUI Galway, the Sigerson spanned three days and seven matches, most of which constituted good entertainment for the sizeable crowds which turned out to support the tournament.

Maybe the addition of the quarter-finals on the Friday is militating against the final being top-class as fatigue begins to bite but yesterday's match would have wearied any team. Tight and competitive on a demanding pitch, it was the last match any player would want to see slipping into the extra half-hour.

Queen's had proved themselves over the weekend as the most complete team in the competition and, despite a long fallow period in the first half, their virtues were again to the fore yesterday.

UCD owned the ball in that opening period although they struggled to make possession count on the scoreboard. The Queen's defence was excellent with converted forward Aidan Quinn a rock of dependability in the goal - a composure recognised in his selection for the Combined Universities panel.

Strongly backboned by Peter Quinn at full back and Enda McNulty in front of him, Queen's absorbed ferocious pressure. Paddy Campbell at corner back was another star of the winning team and his performances over the weekend made him a genuine contender for the player of the tournament award which was won by Tom Brewster. Brewster's dead-ball kicking had been a regular source of scores in each of the three matches and his total of 0-13 speaks for itself.

None was more important than the left-sided free in injury-time yesterday. Trailing for the first time in the match to a well-taken point from John Lynch, Queen's were desperate. Brewster's kick forced the game into extra-time.

The team's nerve had been well tested on the Saturday afternoon in Salthill where, in the driving rain, UCC looked to have pulled away from Queen's. With 10 minutes left, UCC led 1-7 to 0-5 but were overhauled as they staggered exhausted to the finishing line.

Six days previously much the same team had been given a torrid time by Crossmaglen in the All-Ireland semi-final, the day before they had been taken to a 100 minutes of football by neighbours CIT and by the semi-final they were nearly out on their feet.

An excellent start nearly put enough in the bank to get them through but, despite the excellence of Liam Murphy and Billy Sheehan in the middle of the attack and captain Anthony Lynch's authoritative marking and clever distribution from centre back, it wasn't to be.

UCD's disposal of the home team NUIG was far more controversial. Galway's defeat after victory the previous day against favourites UUJ was unexpected. They never recovered from a bad start which saw a Ciaran McManus-inspired UCD pull into a five-point lead.

Nonetheless there were chances aplenty in the second half and it took two point-blank saves from Cathal Mullin in UCD's goal to prevent goals from Dessie Dolan and Kieran Considine. Then at the very end, Mayo's Maurice Sheridan lined up a free kick to equalise but the ball struck the post.

The main controversy surrounded the allegation that UCD had brought on four substitutes. Referee Pat McEnaney had no record of the fourth replacement and neither did video evidence support the contention and, in the end, NUIG decided against lodging an appeal against UCD proceeding to the final. But many spectators claimed to have seen UCD bringing on four substitutes. Some reports of the match listed that number.

Queen's made the best possible start to the final with a goal after only 40 seconds. Paddy McKeever's well-judged ball into Liam McBarron gave the Fermanagh man a great chance and he converted it emphatically.

For the rest of the half, UCD battled away to reduce the leeway. Unfortunately, McManus wasn't in the best of kicking form and the long-distance efforts which had helped sink Galway weren't going over and he managed five wides over the afternoon.

UCD's lack of heft in attack militated against them and expertly marshalled by the opposing defence, they struggled to score. It took 15 minutes after McBarron's opener for a second score to follow - McManus eventually pointing a 45. Nigel Crawford added a super point from play and that was it at half-time, 1-0 to 0-2.

In the second half, the match opened up a little. Armagh's Diarmuid Marsden - battling injury as usual - made his appearance and played a captain's part as he worked tirelessly as well as clipping vital scores in extra-time.

During an abnormally long break before extra time, the consensus was that UCD might have shot their bolt and winning manager Dessie Ryan admitted afterwards that the strength of his panel proved its value in extra time.

But it didn't come easily. The decisive break on the scoreboard came in injury-time at the end of the first period of extra-time with Ward and Marsden extending a narrow lead into a three-point margin. UCD pelted away for the final 15 minutes but to no avail.

It was the university's eighth success and their first since 1993.