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UCD's final clash with NUI Galway Sigerson Cup Semi-finals

UCD meet NUI Galway in the Sigerson Cup final at Páirc Uí Rinn this afternoon (throw-in 4.15 p.m

Sat Mar 08 2003 - 00:00

UCD meet NUI Galway in the Sigerson Cup final at Páirc Uí Rinn this afternoon (throw-in 4.15 p.m.) following contrasting semi-finals at the Mardyke yesterday.

UCD pipped UUJ by a point, 1-10 to 2-6, while Galway were too strong for NUI Maynooth, winning by 2-14 to 0-8.

John Hanly emerged as UCD's hero with a winning point 90 seconds into injury-time as extra-time loomed large for UUJ - who had led 1-5 to 0-5 at the break - for the second consecutive day.

As the wind whipped up and rain cascaded from the sky, it looked as if this dour, hard-fought struggle was heading towards 20 minutes' additional time with the sides deadlocked at 1-9 to 2-6.

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Then, a long clearance from defence caught out Jordanstown, pushing up from the back, leaving Hanly in the clear some 45 metres from goal.

Decision time - take the point or round goalkeeper Ronan Gallagher and shoot at an empty net. Hanly seized his moment of glory by lobbing the ball over the crossbar and, despite another two minutes' play, UCD managed to see out the added time without undue bother.

As in their opening game against UCC, NUI Galway started and finished brilliantly in yesterday's other semi-final.

By the time Ross Munnelly kicked Maynooth's first point in the 24th minute, Galway had 1-5 on the board.

There was no disputing the class of the Galway side, particularly in attack, where Michael Meehan and Matthew Clancy operated on a different level, while the towering Barry Cullinane helped them dominate the aerial duels around midfield.

Galway conjured up a goal of sheer brilliance near the end, in a move which underlined their huge potential up front.Clancy and Colm McFadden combined sweetly for Rory Donnelly to crack in his second with a ferocious shot after a swift counter-attack.

UCD: G Magill; D O'Donoghue, C Evans, P Griffin; B Cahill, S Lucey, R Kelly; D Magee, C Murphy; J Hanly (0-2), B Ó Hannaidh, L Ó Heineachan (0-1); A Brogan (1-1), R Ronaghan, P Lawless (0-6). Subs: P Curran for Murphy; T O'Connor for Kelly; J Sheridan for Evans.

UUJ: R Gallagher; T Earley, C McGinley, C McRory; P O'Kane, L Doyle, B Shannon (0-1); P Loughran (0-1), P Rouse; S Cavanagh (0-1), M Walsh (0-1), M O'Rourke; P Bradley (1-0), E McGinley (1-1), S Kearney (0-1).

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).

NUI GALWAY: D Morris; C Monaghan, R Murray, D Blake; D Costello, J Donohue, C O'Neill; B Cullinane (0-1), L Colleran; B Colleran (0-2), M Clancy (0-2), M Keane (0-1); C McFadden (0-3), M Meehan (0-4), R Donnelly (2-0). Subs: G Flanagan for Cullinane; D McConnell for L Colleran; M O'Dwyer (0-1) for Clancy.

NUI MAYNOOTH: C Brennan; D Geraghty, M Ó Sé, M Foley; G Norton, J Keane, C Moran; P Hurley (0-1), R Kavanagh; A Dillon, K Ennis (0-1), D Lally (0-1); R Munnelly (0-2), T Brosnan (0-3), B Moran. Subs: B Brogan for Foley; E Walsh for Horan; P Dooley for Ennis.

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).