Fitzgibbon Cup: Cats factor powers DCU to semi-final date with UCC

By Daire Walsh

DCU will face UCC in the last-four of the Fitzgibbon Cup following their impressive triumph over Waterford IT at St Clare’s tonight.

With their Kilkenny attacking axis of John Donnelly, Jim Ryan and James Bergin amassing a combined tally of 1-12, the Metropolitans proved worthy victors.

Cork’s Stephen Condon led the way with 11 points for the Déise outfit, while former Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson bagged a late goal off the bench.

Following earlier traded scores between James Burke and WIT’s Tom Barron, DCU created daylight with unanswered points from Donnelly and Bergin.

Glanworth marksman Condon was doing his utmost to keep WIT in touch and while the Metropolitans remained in the ascendancy, they were pegged back on 19 minutes.

After Eddie Meaney was fouled inside the square, netminder Billy Nolan drilled the resulting penalty to the opposition net. However, six points in quick succession subsequently propelled DCU into a 0-14 to 1-5 interval lead.

WIT offered an initial resistance on the resumption — Condon’s dead-ball accuracy cutting the gap to two on 40 minutes. Nevertheless, Donnelly, Ryan and James Burke all popped up with points to reassert DCU’s authority. Though WIT remained in contention, Ryan’s kicked finish on 54 minutes placed the outcome beyond doubt.

Gleeson capped his belated cameo with a superb three-pointer off a close-range free, but it was a mere consolation for the Munster men..

Meanwhile, IT Carlow had a thrilling extra-time win over NUIG in the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final, their 5-21 to 0-28 victory propelling them into the semi-finals against Mary I next week.

Scorers for DCU: J Donnelly 0-6, J Ryan 1-3, R O’Connor 0-4 (3f, 1 ’65’), J Burke, J Bergin 0-3 each, R McBride 0-2, B Ryan, D Reck 0-1 each.

Scorers for WIT: S Condon 0-11 (10f), B Nolan 1-1 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), A Gleeson 1-0 (f), T Barron 0-2.

DCU: O Foley; L Gannon, P Smyth, C Firman; B Ryan, C Burke, E Shefflin; D Reck, D Gray; J Donnelly, R McBride, J Burke; J Bergin, J Ryan, R O’Connor.

Subs: F Whitely for Gray (42), D Burke for McBride, E Delaney for J Ryan (both 55), K Burke for Gannon (59).

WIT: B Nolan; T Hayes, K Hassett, S Smyth; C Lyons, M De Paor, T Walsh; R Smithers, J Prendergast; R Flynn, C Flood, T Barron; E Meaney, C Kirwan, S Condon.

Subs: M Daykin for Smyth (h-t), M Mahoney for Flood (49), A Gleeson for Meaney (57).

Referee: P O’Dwyer (Carlow).