UCD need penalties to edge out TU Dublin and make Sigerson Cup final
UCD 1-7 TU Dublin 0-10 (AET – UCD win 5-4 on penalties)
Ben O’Carroll was the match-winner at the National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown on Wednesday night as his crisp finish from the spot secured a penalty shootout win for UCD over TU Dublin at the end of a tense Sigerson Cup semi-final encounter.
After Daire Cregg and TU Dublin sharpshooter Jordan Morris traded points during the early exchanges, UCD ultimately led 0-3 to 0-1 at the end of a largely uneventful opening half of normal time after Roscommon’s Cregg and Aaron Lynch found the range with consecutive scores.
Although Lynch’s second point of the contest increased UCD’s cushion on the resumption, TU Dublin were back on level terms when substitute Darragh Lovett (free), Joe Prendergast and Danny McCartan fired over unanswered scores.
UCD regained the initiative when goalkeeper Killian Roche kicked a superb long-distance point from play, but a second successful Lovett free later forced the game into extra-time.
Even though they registered a fortuitous goal on 64 minutes when a speculative shot by defender Ryan O’Toole was knocked into the net by TU Dublin netminder Jack Rodgers, UCD required a point from a mark by Barry McNulty to ensure they had a chance of triumphing on penalties.
After both teams found the net four times each from seven shots, Morris dragged an effort wide to leave UCD on the brink of sealing a showpiece spot. Despite missing an earlier effort, O’Carroll drilled the ball beyond the reach of Rodgers to book his side a final place against either Ulster University or DCU.
Scorers –UCD: R O’Toole 1-0, D Cregg 0-2 (1f), A Lynch 0-2, K Roche 0-2 (1 ‘45’), B McNulty 0-1 (mark). TU Dublin: D Lovett 0-4 (4f), C Reilly, J Prendergast, J Lundy, D McCartan, J Morris, O Brooks 0-1 each.
TU Dublin: J Rodgers; C Reilly, M Nolan, N Carolan; D Fee, C McKeogh, J Prendergast; D Rooney, S Hanifin; S Reynolds, J Lundy, D McCartan; J Morris, C Fee, S Jones. Subs: O Brooks for Morris (30+3-h-t), D Lovett for Brooks (h-t), O Brooks for Rooney (51), Morris for McCartan (76).
UCD: K Roche; R O’Toole, M Stone, C McMorrow; D Gilmore, C Drumm, D McElearney; C Bolton, P Duffy; C Egan, B McNulty, D Moriarty; D Cregg, L Breathnach, A Lynch. Subs: S Callinan for Gilmore (29), B O’Carroll for Breathnach (h-t), M McNally for Moriarty (41), P Honeyman for Lynch (48), D McEntee for Cregg (53), S Forker for McMorrow, L Costello for Egan (both 71).
Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin).