DCU gained their first O’Connor Cup since 2018
By Siadbh Redmond
DCU ensured a fifth O’Connor Cup went into their hands this weekend with their 3-14 to 1-13 victory over the University of Limerick (UL) in the final.
UL won all their group fixtures against UCC and Mary I to cruise straight through to the semi-final on Friday, March 10th.
Bidding for their 14th title and third in a row, UL kept their winning momentum from the group stages into the semi-final where they faced Queens University Belfast.
The Limerick side scored an incredible seven goals in the semi-final to win on a comprehensive scoreline of 7-14 to 1-9.
This set up an incredibly exciting final, as rivals DCU also bolstered a huge seven goals in the opposite semi-final.
The final, played on Saturday, March 11, was an incredibly tight affair in the opening half, with both sides going score for score with each other.
DCU began the game at an electrifying pace which saw Kate Kenny’s long-range effort fly into the roof of the net just 25 seconds after the opening whistle.
Aoife Hurley scored the University of Limerick’s only goal of the match after she palmed in a blocked shot from teammate Deirbhile Beirne.
The game remained a tight affair at half-time with the Dublin side only holding on to the lead by one point.
DCU produced a ferocious second-half display with corner forward Kate Kenny putting on a show scoring an incredible 1-10.
UL to their credit continued to battle away, but DCU held on to their lead to finish the final on a score line of 3-14 to 1-13.
