Colm O’Meara’s second half goal gave UL the initiative
UL 1-28
MTU CORK 0-10
University of Limerick have booked their place in a fourth Fitzgibbon Cup final in a row with a 1-28 to 0-10 win over MTU Cork in Mallow.
Brian Ryan’s side took full advantage of MTU being reduced to 13 men in the first half with Alan Connolly and Mikey Finn both receiving their marching orders, and UL kicked on from those decisions.
Colm O’Meara’s goal in the second half put the final nail in the coffin and UL could relax at that stage knowing that faith was in their own hands heading down the final stretch.
Early wides hurt both sides, but it was evenly contested, with the opening 10 minutes essentially being a game of ping pong with MTU leading 0-03 to 0-02.
Disaster struck for MTU after 15 minutes as Cork star Alan Connolly was shown a straight red card for a high hit on Michael Corcoran. Just moments later, Mikey Finn was shown a straight red for another late hit and the Cork side were down to 13 men and facing a real uphill battle from there.
UL began to kick on from there built up a bit of a lead thanks to scores from Jack Leahy, Aidan O’Connor and Gearoid O’Connor before Jack Cahalane and Sean Walsh cut the deficit and leaving MTU within a chance of pulling of a huge win, and only being behind by two at the break.
Captain Colin Coughlan was on song with his shooting early on in the second half as he sent over two long range points within the opening six minutes of the second half, before his Limerick team mates Patrick O’Donovan and Adam English began to push their sides lead out to four.
And soon after that it was game over as a goal from Clare’s Colm O’Meara after some good work from Aidan O’Connor to set it up, followed up by a points from O’Connor and English left UL within touching distance of the decider.
Sean Rynne and Diarmuid Hanniffy tagged on further scores as Brian Ryan’s side led by 10 with seemingly no chance of losing the game from here and soon it began to peterout.
Sean Rynne and Diarmuid Hanniffy began to take full control of proceedings and leaving MTU to rue their two red cards in the first with UL using their space to take their chances and leave nothing unturned.
Further scores from Rynne, O’Hanlon and Coughlan further plummeted MTU and left it at 1-28 to 0-10 in what was in the end a very convincing display from UL as they now prepare for a Fitzgibbon final meeting with DCU on Saturday.
Scorers:
UL : G O’Connor 0-5 (0-3 frees); C O’Meara 1-2; J Leahy; C Coughlan 0-4 each; B O’Sullivan 0-3; A O’Connor, A English, S Rynne, D Hanniffy 0-2 each; S O’Hanlon, K Doyle 0-1 each.
MTU CORK: Cahalane 0-4 (0-4 frees); A Walsh 0-2; R Walsh, S Walsh, A Connolly (65), D Healy 0-1 each.
Teams: UL: Darach Fahy (Ardrahan, Galway); Aaron Morgan (Kilruane McDonaghs, Tipperary), John Conneally (Clooney Quin, Clare), Michael Corcoran (Silvermines, Tipperary); K Doyle (Emeralds, Kilkenny), M Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford); Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick); Adam English (Doon, Limerick), Brian O’Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork); Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne Templetuohy, Tipperary), Colm O’Meara (Clonlara, Clare), Patrick Crotty (Scariff, Clare); Jack Leahy (Dungourney, Cork), Aidan O’Connor (Ballybrown, Limerick), Patrick O’Donovan (Effin, Limerick)
Subs: C Smyth for Corcoran (inj – 16); D Hanniffy for A O’Connor (44); S Rynne for Crotty (46); S O’Hanlon for English (49); J Fitzgerald for G O’Connor (53).
MTU CORK: Cathal Wilson (Newcestown/Cork); Fionn O’Connell (St Catherine’s/Cork), Eoghan Varian (Glen Rovers/Cork), Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig/Cork); Sam Fitzgerald (Clashmore/Kinsalebeg, Waterford), Ciaran Joyce (Castlemartyr/Cork), Ronan Walsh (Kilmoyley, Kerry); Mikey Finn (Midleton/Cork), Michael Mullins (Whitechurch/Cork); Sean Walsh (Fouremilewater, Cork), Brian Lynch (Ballinhassig/Cork), Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold/Cork); Alan Walsh (Kanturk/Cork), Alan Connolly (Blackrock/Cork); Jack Cahalane (St Finbarr’s/Cork).
Subs: R McCarthy for Lynch (36); David O’Sullivan for Fitzgerald (50), M Kelleher for Mullins (55); R O’Sullivan for Healy (55).
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford).