UCD 1-6 

Matthew Tierney played a captain’s role at Belfield on Thursday evening as defending champions University of Galway progressed to the Sigerson Cup quarter-finals with a convincing triumph over UCD.

Having lifted the college football title in 2022, Tribesmen senior star Tierney is hell-bent on doing so again this year. The Oughterard man (who featured for his county in their All-Ireland SFC final defeat to Kerry last July) helped himself to an impressive tally of 0-7 to keep the westerners on a winning trajectory.

Tomo Culhane and Cathal Sweeney also bagged goals in either half to ensure their opponents – managed by current Galway senior selector John Divilly – were kept at bay. Monaghan attacker David Garland did his best to keep UCD in touch with a personal haul of 1-5 and while the Dublin-based outfit ultimately fell short, they could yet have a say in the final destination of the Sigerson trophy.

Seeking to hit the ground running on their home pitch, UCD edged into an early lead when Garland pointed a mark from a left-hand angle. Their Galway counterparts were eager to lay down a marker of their own, however, and Culhane built on his excellent cameo against Mayo in the FBD League last weekend by rattling the net off a fast-paced move in the fourth-minute.

Although Garland subsequently fired over a close-range free, Tierney kicked a brace of superb points from play to establish a three-point cushion for University of Galway. Yet goalkeeper Conor Carroll had been called into the action on a couple of occasions and despite turning away a Jonathan Lynam effort on 22 minutes, Garland was on hand to bag a goal off the ensuing rebound.

There was no reason for Galway to panic though and they reinforced their authority in a strong finish to the opening period. Either side of Sweeney splitting the posts on the run, Tierney knocked over frees off his trusty left boot to give the title holders a 1-5 to 1-2 interval buffer.

While UCD narrowed the gap on the resumption with a pointed Garland free, Paul Kelly (whose brother Sean was a notable absentee) and Tierney stretched University of Galway four clear with similar strikes at the opposite end.

To their credit, UCD kept themselves in contention as the action developed with the reliable Garland posting white flag scores either side of a Mark McInerney mark. Traded points from Tierney and UCD substitute Daire Cregg left the game in the melting pot, until Sweeney broke through for a clinical 57th minute goal.

This effectively placed the outcome beyond doubt, but late points from Donal Hunt and Tierney ensured University of Galway ended the contest in fine style.

Scorers for University Of Galway: M Tierney (0-7, 4f), C Sweeney (1-1), T Culhane (1-0), M McInerney (mark), P Kelly (f), D Hunt (0-1 each).

Scorers for UCD: D Garland (1-5, 0-4f, 0-1 mark); D Cregg (0-1).

UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY: C Carroll (Oranmore, Roscommon); C Dunleavy (Balla, Mayo), C Murray (Mountbellew-Moylough, Galway), E Lyons (Shamrock Gaels, Sligo); C Monaghan (Oughterard, Galway), S O’Flynn (Courtwood, Laois), R Egan (Edenderry, Offfaly); P Kelly (Moycullen, Galway); G Davoren (Moycullen, Galway); P O’Donnell (Aran, Galway), M Tierney (Oughterard, Galway), C Sweeney (Salthill/Knocknacarra, Galway); G Burke (Corofin, Galway), E Kelly (Moycullen, Galway), T Culhane (Salthill/Knocknacarra, Galway).

Subs: M McInerney (Eire Og, Clare) for Culhane (h-t), D Flaherty (Salthill/Knocknacarra, Galway) for Monaghan (40), D Heneghan (Michael Glavey’s, Roscommon) for O’Donnell (42), D Hunt (Salthill/Knocknacarra) for Burke (57), J McLoughlin (Moycullen, Galway) for Davoren (62).

UCD: C Keane (Listowel Emmets, Kerry); L Smith (Ballinteer St John’s, Dublin), J Moran (Emmet Og Killoe, Longford), M Stone (Barndarrig, Wicklow); K Kennedy (Ballyboden St Enda’s, Dublin), P O’Keane (St Patrick’s, Wicklow), B Cox (Calry/St Joseph’s, Sligo); R Buckley (Listry, Kerry), S Forker (Castleknock, Dublin); P Ruttledge (Knockmore, Mayo), F Clifford (Laune Rangers, Kerry), C Feely (Boyle, Roscommon); J Lynam (The Downs, Westmeath), B O’Carroll (St Brigid’s, Roscommon), D Garland (Donaghmoyne, Monaghan).

Subs: L Breathnach (Ballinteer St John’s, Dublin) for Clifford (36), D McElearney (Drumhowan, Monaghan) for Feely (43), C Feeney (Adamstown, Wexford) for Forker (46), D Cregg (Boyle, Roscommon) for Lynam (50), T Browne (Naas, Kildare) for Moran (52).

Referee: A Coyne (Westmeath).