Both teams were in need of a win following earlier defeats to University of Galway and while Carlow were playing with a strong wind during the opening period, the sides were level at 0-5 apiece just under 10 minutes into the contest.

However, Eoin Cody created some daylight between the teams with a rebound finish to the net just shy of the first-quarter mark and the Kilkenny senior star followed up almost immediately with a goal from close-range.

This left Carlow in the driving seat and even though UCD bagged a three-pointer of their own through Jack Guilfoyle on 26 minutes, a plethora points from the likes of Cody, Chris Nolan and Jon Nolan propelled the SETU college into a commanding 2-13 to 1-6 cushion at the interval.

UCD did eat into their deficit with a goal from their lively inside forward Dara Purcell five minutes after the resumption, but Carlow produced an emphatic response at the opposite end as Aaron Dunphy rattled the back of the opposition net with considerable aplomb.

This left the south Dubliners with a mountain to climb and despite registering four points on the bounce inside the final-quarter – Liam Murphy (two), Charlie McGuckin and Purcell all finding the target – any hope they had of forging a dramatic comeback were quashed when Tomas Keyes expertly grabbed SETU Carlow’s fourth goal of the game with nine minutes of normal time remaining.

Scorers – SETU Carlow: E Cody 2-4 (1-3f), A Dunphy, T Keyes 1-2 each, C Nolan, J Nolan 0-3 each, J Buggy (f), K Moynihan, J Fogarty 0-1 each. UCD: D Purcell 1-3, E Guilfoyle 1-1 (0-1f), L Murphy 0-4 (3f), S Audsley, C McGuckin, L Connellan 0-1 each.

SETU Carlow: J Lawlor; D Palmer, M Dundon, P Casey; K Moynihan, C Corcoran, R Mullaney; G Lynch, J Nolan; A Dunphy, C Nolan, J Fogarty; T Keyes, E Cody, P Boland. Subs: J Buggy for Dundon (h-t), E English for Moynihan (52), D O’Donovan for Keyes (59), M Troy for Fogarty, P Ryan for Dunphy (62).

UCD: J Walsh; E Ryan, M Walsh, P Leavey; S Audsley, E Geraghty, I O hEithir; E O’Brien, C McGuckin; L Connellan, L Murphy, M Twomey; J Duggan, E Guilfoyle, D Purcell. Subs: D Codd for O’Brien (34), C Foley for Twomey (37), E Purcell for Duggan (45), C Gaffney for Connellan (52), B Scanlon for Murphy (56).

Referee: E Furlong (Wexford).