SETU Waterford 1-19

MTU Cork 0-20

A good second-half comeback fell just short as MTU Cork exited the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup with defeat away to SETU Waterford on Wednesday night.

With both colleges having lost to Group A winners University of Galway, this game acted as a quarter-final play-off, with MTU having a slight edge as better scoring difference would send them through with a draw.

Such an outcome seemed remote as Waterford moved into a seven-point lead midway through the second half. The visitors continued to press, though, and twice came back to within a single score in the closing stages. Unfortunately for them, parity remained elusive.

MTU never led at any stage in the game but they were competitive in a first half where the key score was a 13th-minute goal from Pádraig Fitzgerald. Set up by Paul Cody, the corner-forward opened up a four-point lead, 1-4 to 0-3, but MTU replied with three points, a pair of Liam O’Shea frees sandwiching a good score by the industrious Brian Roche.

As the half came to a close, Waterford began to find more momentum, with Seán Purcell and Mark O’Brien strong in their half-back line while Ruben Halloran’s dead-ball accuracy was a real asset as they retired with a 1-11 to 0-9 advantage.

Halloran extended the lead to six on the resumption only for MTU to reel off three on the trot, O’Shea with two frees – the latter after Ciarán Joyce had won a puckout only to be caught on the head by Shane Bennett, who was yellow-carded – and Roche on target again.

They found it difficult to come closer, though, and Carrigtwohill’s Seán Walsh was to the fore for SETU as they hit four points in as many minutes to move seven ahead, 1-16 to 0-12, with 17 minutes of normal time left.

MTU midfielder Sam Quirke did almost reply with a goal, denied by a pair of Barry Hennessy saves leading to a 65, which Joyce converted before adding a free. O’Shea’s seventh brough the lead back down to four and there was a goal between the sides on 51 after another Joyce 65.

While Halloran’s ninth for Waterford stemmed the flow somewhat, Seán Walsh – the Waterford version playing for MTU, rather than the Cork version playing for SETU – landed a good point and then, when Cormac Beausang’s good run was illegally halted, O’Shea sent over the free.

That made 1-17 to 0-18 on 58 minutes, with O’Shea getting his ninth to cut the lead to the minimum a minute later. Halloran gave Waterford breathing space again but on 62, O’Shea sent over another close-range free. MTU needed to win the puckout if they were to find an equaliser but Waterford claimed possession and won a free, with Halloran once again doing the needful.

Scorers for SETU Waterford: R Halloran 0-11f, P Fitzgerald 1-0, S Walsh, J Prendergast, S Bennett, M O’Brien 0-2 each.

MTU Cork: L O’Shea 0-10 (0-8f), C Joyce 0-4 (0-2f, 0-2 65), B Roche, S Walsh 0-2 each, C Beausang, S Quirke 0-1 each.

SETU WATERFORD: B Hennessy; J Fitrzgerald, S Fitzgerald, G Fives; M O’Brien, C Ryan, S Purcell; J Harkin, J Prendergast; P Cody, A Kirwin, S Walsh; R Halloran, S Bennett, P Fitzgerald.

Subs: S Lawlor for Cody.

MTU CORK (Cork clubs unless stated): C Wilson (Newcestown); C Roche (Sarsfields), S Keoghan (Graigue-Ballycallan, Kilkenny), L Ryan (Inniscarra); E Murphy (Causeway), C Joyce (Castlemartyr), E Collins (Newcestown); S Quirke (Midleton), K Murphy (Sarsfields); B Roche (Bride Rovers), L O’Shea (Lisgoold), C Beausang (Midleton); B Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash, Tipperary), S Walsh (Fourmilewater, Waterford), J Mulcahy (Carrigtwohill).

Subs: P Creedon (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary) for Kehoe (half-time), J Cahalane (St Finbarr’s) for Mulcahy (46), A Walsh (Kanturk) for Murphy (51).

Referee: P Murphy (Carlow).