TU Dublin claim first Ashbourne Cup title
Ashbourne Cup final
TU Dublin 1-11
UCC 0-13
(after extra-time)
Daire Walsh
History was made at Belfield yesterday as Roisin McCormick’s last-gasp free ensured TU Dublin secured their maiden Ashbourne Cup crown at the expense of 32-time champions UCC.
It took 80-plus minutes before the college formerly known as DIT got their hands on the trophy, Antrim ace McCormick having kept her side in the reckoning with a nerveless ’45’ at the end of normal time. A late UCC burst in extra-time had looked set to force a penalty shootout.
Yet there was one final opportunity for TU Dublin to swing the pendulum in their favour and McCormick’s fifth point of the game added a new team to the Ashbourne Cup’s roll of honours.
Scorers for TU Dublin: M Dowdall (1-3); R McCormick (0-5, 2f, 1 ’45’), C Gannon, K Finnegan, S Daly (0-1 each).
Scorers for UCC: C O’Leary (0-6, 5f), L Hayes, C Finn (0-3 each), S O’Brien (0-1).
TU DUBLIN (Dublin unless stated): R Atkinson; C Shannahan, R Brennan, L Robinson; C Gannon, N Gannon, J Couch; G Couch, E Minogue (Kilkenny); N Keenaghan (Cavan), E Young, K Finnegan; M Dowdall (Westmeath), R McCormick (Antrim), S Barcoe (Kilkenny).
Subs for TU Dublin: A Heffernan for Barcoe (h-t), S Daly for Young (44), Barcoe for G Couch (60+3), H Davis (Kildare) for Shannahan (68), O Gray for J Couch (76), E Young for Minogue (81).
UCC (Cork unless stated): M Lynch; R McCarthy (Kerry), C Carroll (Waterford), M Murphy; M Ring, A Healy, A Cashman; C O’Leary, E Heffernan (Tipperary); O Kelleher (Limerick), L Hayes, E Murphy; S O’Brien (Limerick), C Finn, K Blair (Tipperary).
Subs for UCC: I Sheehan for Cashman (37), R Conway (Clare) for Blair (40), M Barrett for Heffernan (48), L Leenane (Tipperary) for Finn (51), Blair for Leenane (65), Finn for Kelleher (68), Cashman for McCarthy (71).
Referee: R Kelly (Kildare).