Goals in each half by Kilkenny forward Liam Blanchfield helped Dublin IT to get their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign back on track against Waterford IT at Grangegorman.

Following their opening round loss to UL last Sunday, the Metropolitan college couldn’t afford another slip-up in Group B.

Playing with a wind-advantage during the opening period, they hit the front with a superbly-taken Blanchfield goal in the ninth minute.

A Shane Murphy three-pointer subsequently moved WIT into the ascendancy, but thanks to fine contributions from Derek McNicholas, O’Brien and Robbie Greville, DIT brought a 1-13 to 1-10 cushion into the interval.

And their chances of success received a significant boost after the restart when Conor Ryan and Blanchfield both found a way past opposition netminder Mark Fanning in the 33rd and 38th minutes respectively.

Pat Lyng was one of the leading lights for WIT throughout and his second-half haul of 0-6 kept them in contention during the closing stages.

But DIT were always one step ahead of their opponents, who were playing their first game of this season’s competition,  and late scores from Luke Kelly and O’Brien sealed their six-point victory.

Scorers – DIT: N O’Brien 0-10 (8f, 1 ’65’), L Blanchfield 2-0, J Cahill 0-3, C Ryan 1-0, D McNicholas 0-2 (1f), L Kelly, N Mitchell, R Greville, J McGuirk 0-1 each. WIT: P Lyng 0-9 (6f), S Murphy 1-2 (2f), J Prendergast 0-3, C Flood, S O’Brien 0-2 each, J O’Connor 0-1.

DIT – S Brennan; W Kavanagh, C Hendricken, P Cass; J Cahill, D McNicholas, L Kelly; E Dunne, C Ryan; N Mitchell, P Maher, L Blanchfield; N O’Brien, R Greville, J McGuirk.. Subs: C Taylor for Cahill (54), N Walsh for McGuirk (63).

WIT – M Fanning; S Smyth, M Whelan, T Hayes; O McGrath, J Henderson, C Lyons; J Prendergast, C Flood; P Lyng, S O’Brien, S Murphy; C Hennessy, J O’Connor, P Walsh. Subs: B Ramsey for Murphy (h-t), J Kennedy for Flood (49), C Burke for O’Connor (55).

REF – J McGrath (Westmeath)