ELECTRIC IRELAND SIGERSON CUP
Quarter-final DCU Dochas Eireann 2-12 Ulster University 2-11
AGONY FOR UU
DCU turn up the heat in second half to book their place in semi-finals
By DAIRE WALSH
THEY produced a gallant fightback in the closing minutes, but Ulster University ultimately suffered an agonising one-point defeat to defending champions DCU in the quarter-final of the Sigerson Cup in Dublin last night.
Three points ahead at the half-time, UU were outscored 2-9 to 1-5 over a 26-minute spell on the resumption.
A subsequent goal by All-Ireland winning Tyrone star Darragh Canavan set-up a nerve-wracking finale, but Paddy Christie’s hosts did enough to advance into the penultimate rounds.
Having comfortably overcome the challenge of MTU Cork at the National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown yesterday week, the northern college embarked on their third successive visit to Dublin with supreme confidence.
Having won the competition on home soil two years ago, DCU were hoping to use this to their advantage once again.
The Metropolitans spurned several opportunities during the early exchanges, however, and this opened the door for Ulster University to pounce at the opposite end.
It took them six minutes to open their account, but the Jordanstown visitors eventually got the ball rolling with a neat point from Andrew Gilmore. Liam Nugent subsequently doubled their lead, before DCU responded through inside forward Mark Barry.
Nonetheless with Cavan’s Thomas Galligan driving them forward from midfield, Ulster University continued to take the game to their hosts.
Half-back Mark McKernan superbly split the posts and Niall Loughlin – fresh from playing a starring role for Derry in their Allianz Football League Division Two victory over Down last weekend – also raised a white flag to give UU a 0-4 to 0-1 cushion on the first-quarter mark.
After corner-back Mark Curran showed the DCU forwards how it was done with a superb point from out towards the right-wing, Loughlin added his second of the night off a 30-metre free.
Barry also added to his personal tally, but with eight wides to their name in the first half, DCU were struggling to find their top gear.
Ulster University, on the other hand, were assured in their approach and a routine Gilmore free ensured they brought a 0-6 to 0-3 buffer into the interval.
Yet the introduction of Robert Finnerty and Shane O’Donnell added fresh life to the DCU challenge and it took them just eight minutes to wipe out their deficit.
Ulster University initially remained in control with back-to-back points courtesy of Karl Gallagher and Michael Gallagher, but DCU were back in the reckoning when Barry bundled to the net on 33 minutes.
Galway ace Finnerty and Gilmore traded a brace of frees, in advance of Meath’s Shane Walsh and the increasingly-influential Finnerty splitting the uprights for a now rampant DCU.
This restored parity to an absorbing contest, but Ulster University once again gave themselves a strong chance of progression when Loughlin fired past opposing netminder David O’Hanlon at the end of a sweeping 41st-minute attack.
Although this came as a set-back to DCU following a blistering start to the second period, it didn’t prove to be a fatal one.
Finnerty and Walsh frees – either side of a similar effort by Loughlin – helped them to settle and when Red Og Murphy coolly slotted home a penalty with eight minutes of normal time remaining, they edged in front for the very first time.
Unanswered points from Walsh, Joseph Hagan and Paraic Hughes helped DCU to create further daylight and even though Canavan shook the net off a defensive mishap, a couple of speculative attempts at an equaliser meant that Ulster University came up short in the end.
MATCH STATS
DCU: D O’Hanlon; D Corcoran, S Ryan, M Curran (0-1); L Towey, J Morrissey, M Costello; L Coleman, R Og Murphy (1-0, pen); P Hughes (0-1), S Walsh (0-3, 1f), B Carroll; S Tierney, J Bryant, M Barry (1-2, 0-1f).
Subs: S O’Donnell for Carroll, R Finnerty (0-4, 3f) for Bryant (both h-t), K Lynch Bissett for Barry (40), J Hagan (0-1) for Tierney (46), S Byrne for Coleman (56).
Ulster University: O Lynch; A Clarke, F McElroy, M Gallagher (0-1); M McKearney (0-1), R Boyle, M McKernan (0-1); T Galligan, M McGleenan; K Gallagher, D Canavan (1-0), R Gormley; L Nugent (0-1), N Loughlin (1-3, 2f), A Gilmore (0-4, 3f).
Subs: D Mulgrew for Gormley (h-t), C Glass for McGleenan (40), J Garrity for K Gallagher (46), S Loughran for Canavan (60).
Referee: C Dourneen (Cavan).