SIEGERSON CUP - UCD 1-11 DUBLIN IT 0-10: So much for those soft, lazy days in college. The lesson in Belfield yesterday afternoon was hard-hitting and thoroughly exhausting, where UCD were tested to the limit before securing their place in the quarter-finals of the Sigerson Cup.
DIT had UCD at full stretch, and neither side could claim to be dominant in any one area. To a man UCD were relieved to hear the final whistle. What helped win it for them in the end was an unlikely combination - the scoring prowess of Liam Ó hEineachain, and the remarkable place-kicking of Peter Lawless. There were strong foundations elsewhere, particularly in the full-back line, but those two contributed 1-10 of the UCD total. Substitute Stephen Lucy added the remaining point.
It was Ó hEineachain who was first to impress, kicking UCD's opening two points from play. It now seems only a matter of time before the Kilmacud Crokes youngster gets his regular place on the Dublin senior team. And having already come on to good effect in the last league outing against Tyrone, manager Tommy Lyons is likely to make even greater use of him on Sunday against Kerry.
For Lawless the future has been a little less certain, though his 0-7 tally yesterday may make things a little clearer. Now a couple of years out of the under-21 ranks, he has failed to make the jump onto the senior panel for several reasons - but primarily because of injury. Yesterday his power and accuracy from placed balls was faultless, and he had much to contribute on and off the ball as well.
Without those two UCD would clearly have been in trouble. Alan Brogan struggled bad on the slippery surface and was largely anonymous. Joe Sheridan, the burly youngster from Meath, never truly got into the game either and was eventually replaced.
The three other Dublin seniors had a varied input. Paul Griffin and Barry Cahill did their part in the defence, but at times Darren Magee was outshone at midfield by Brendan Ó hAinnaidh. And both those players were more then evenly matched by DIT's Ger Coughlan and Hugh McInerney, the latter a giant of a player currently in the Dublin under-21 team.
The testing nature of the game was of no surprise to Dave Billings, the UCD manager and also current Dublin football selector: "I said before this game that I'd be happy to win by a point. So obviously I'm happy with that result."
For long periods of the first half DIT were marginally the better team, or at least made better use of their possession. The full forward line of Damien Freeman, Shane McKeigue and Ronan O'Hagan were a constant threat, and quickly counteracted the bright start from UCD.
At the half wore down, DIT took a greater grip on the game and two frees from Dublin senior Declan O'Mahoney and a point from Stephen Bray pushed them into a 0-6 to 0-4 lead. A couple more points were exchanged before Ó hEineacháin took a perfect hand pass from Brogan to blast home the game's only goal on 27 minutes - and with that UCD were up 1-5 to 0-7.
O'Mahoney and Lawless then exchanged frees, leaving UCD with the one-point cushion at half time. Things didn't change a whole lot in the second half, nor did the consistency of Lawless. He added three more inch-perfect frees, and then put the icing on the cake by kicking the best point of the afternoon - left-footed and all.
DIT kept battling but found the UCD defence increasingly unyielding, and were limited to two scores in the second half. UCD await the outcome of this afternoon's game between CIT and Queens before knowing who they'll play in the quarter-finals the weekend after next. But after this they already know that no victory in the Sigerson Cup will come easy.
UCD: G McGill; D O'Donoghue, C Evans, P Griffin; T O'Connor, B Cahill, R Kelly; D Magee, B O hAnnaidh; P Curran, J Hanly, L O h Eineachain (1-3); A Brogan, J Sheridan, P Lawless (0-7, five frees, one 45). Subs: D O'Connor for Evans (25 mins), R Barry for Curran (35 mins), R Ronaghan for Sheridan (40 mins), S Lucey (0-1) for Kelly (44 mins).
DIT: S Duffy; L Mooney, F Smith, M Gahan; M Hanafin, D Burke, B McGrath; G Couglan (0-1), H McInerney (0-1); G Prior, D O'Mahoney (0-3, all frees), S Bray (0-2), D Freeman (0-1), S McKeigue (0-2, one free), R O'Hagan. Subs: B Kelly for McGrath (half time), D Neylon for Hanafin (55 mins).
Referee: S McCormack (Meath)
