The University of Limerick cruised to a 21-point victory over UCD yesterday at Maguires field at the UL campus.
By Benjamin Geary
The University of Limerick (UL) earned their spot in the semi-finals of the Fitzgibbon Cup on Thursday night after a 4-19 to 0-10 win over UCD.
A cold and crisp evening set the stage for a dominant home performance that saw Waterford’s Michael Kiely find the net three times in a game UL never looked like losing.
Brian Ryan’s side will now face SETU Waterford in the final four, two steps away from retaining their title.
The Limerick team never relented their lead throughout the 60 minutes, with Adam English finding the posts from an angle after only 35 seconds to open it up.
UCD’s first score came in the form of a free from Donal O’Shea seven minutes into the game, but by that time UL had slotted three points between the sticks and that momentum continued.
Stellar defending from the hosts throughout the game thwarted UCD attack after UCD attack, while the midfield collected numerous puck-outs.
Kiely’s first goal came just minutes after, but not before two more points – the Waterford man found lots of success attacking from right corner forward.
UL were ahead eight points at the break with UCD half-forward Colum Prendiville being the scorer of the only point from open play for the visitors.
The game was very much in UL’s hands and another goal from Kiely sealed the deal early on in the second half, though the home side kept their foot on the gas.
UCD managed to add some more scores to the board but could not compete with the level UL were on in the match-up.
The packed Maguires crowd saw Kiely complete his hattrick after James Power added a goal to his own personal tally on the night as the hosts finished the game off with 10 unanswered scores and moved a step closer to Fitzgibbon number eight.
University of Limerick scorers: Michael Kiely 3-0; Gearoid O’Connor 0-5 (0-2f), James Power 1-2; Adam English 0-4; Sean Twomey 0-3; Colin Coughlan, Mark Rodgers, Bryan O’Mara, Brian O’Sullivan, Conor Flaherty 0-1 each.
University College Dublin scorers: Donal O’Shea 0-6 (6f); Colum Prendiville, Liam Murphy 0-2 each.
University of Limerick: Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris, Tipperary); TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge, Galway), Mark Fitzgerald (Passage East, Cork), Mike Gough (Smith O’Brien’s, Clare); Killian Sampson (Shinrone, Offaly), Bryan O’Mara (Hollycross/Ballycahill, Tipperary), Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny); Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick), Brian O’Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork); Adam English (Doon, Limerick), Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne/Templetouhy, Tipperary), Sean Twomey (Courcey Rovers, Cork); Mark Rodgers (Scariff, Clare), Michael Kiely (Abbeyside, Waterford), James Power (Clonea, Waterford).
Subs: Dean Mason (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny) for Shelly (21′ – inj), Conor Flaherty (Claregalway/Carnmore, Galway) for Coughlan (37′ – inj), Cian Galvin (Clarecastle, Clare) for Twomey (37′), Patrick Crotty (Scariff, Clare) for Rogers (49′), Padraic Dunne (The Harps, Laois) for Fitzgerald (51′).
University College Dublin: Eddie Hogan (Faughs, Dublin); Iain Ó hEithir (Ballinteer, Dublin), Michael Walsh (Ardrahan, Galway), Eoin Ryan (St. Anne’s – Rathangan, Waterford); David O’Carroll (Lisdowney, Kilkenny), Cian O Cathasaigh (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin), Eoin Geraghty (Oranmore/Maree, Galway); Mark Twomey (Abbeyside, Waterford), Eoin Guilfoyle (James Stephens, Kilkenny); Colum Prendiville (Graigue-Ballycallan, Kilkenny), Liam O’Brien (Ballinamella, Waterford), Donal O’Shea (Salthill Knocknacarra, Galway); James Duggan (The Harps, Laois), Dara Purcell (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin), Liam Murphy (Cuala, Dublin).
Subs: Cian Rogers (Ratoath, Meath) for O’Brien (37′), Darragh O’Keeffe (Ballygunner, Waterford) for Geraghty (44′), Killian Egan (Graigue-Ballycallan, Kilkenny) for Duggan (49′), Eoin Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary) for Murphy (52′), Conor Hoban (Dunamaggin, Kilkenny) for Guilfoyle (54′).
