Fitzgibbon Cup: UCC gunning for place in semi-finals

A place in the semi-finals of the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup is up for grabs as UCC welcome ATU Galway to the Mardyke tonight (7pm).

Last week’s win away to UCD secured top spot in Group C of the competition for UCC, earning them a home tie in the quarter-finals and, almost as importantly, avoiding a trip to face the holders and favourites, UL.

With 12 teams entered in this year’s Fitz, there were four groups of three. UCC – top of the roll of honour – were drawn with the side second on the list, UCD, and Maynooth University, who had done well in reaching the semi-finals of the higher education league before Christmas.

The Kildare college were the visitors to the Dyke for the opening match three weeks ago and, while UCC were strong favourites to win and did so, it was far from easy.

After trailing by 0-5 to 0-3 early in the first half, UCC looked to have found their rhythm as Jack O’Connor brought them level with a pair of goals and they began to create more goal opportunities.

Frees from Robbie Cotter had them 0-8 to 0-6 in front before Shane Barrett set up O’Connor for a well-taken goal. They had a chance to move further ahead when awarded a penalty but Maynooth goalkeeper Niall Holland saved from Cotter. Even so, a second booking for Mark Donnelly just before half-time looked to have made Maynooth’s task tougher as they turned with a 1-11 to 0-8 deficit.

Conor Cahalane extended the lead to seven points on the resumption but UCC would only add four more points in normal time. Maynooth belied their shortage of players as Billy Drennan remained accurate from frees and his brother Conor landed a huge one from his own 45.

They were within a score when Billy Drennan got his eighth on 52 minutes with impressive sub Emmet Landy getting his third to leave the minimum in it. Pierce Blanchfield tied matters but UCC stayed composed and took the win, 1-18 to 0-19, thanks to injury-time points from Cork stars Shane Barrett and Niall O’Leary.

A week later, Maynooth made life difficult for UCD and led by five points with 10 minutes remaining but the visitors had a late surge and took the win by four, 1-23 to 0-22. That result ensured that UCC would be advancing to the knockout stages but gave UCD an edge in scoring difference and meant that UCC would need to win the last match in Belfield to top the group.

ACCURACY

In the event, it was fairly straightforward for Tom Kingston’s side, who came out on top by 0-19 to 0-13. Darragh Flynn, used off the bench against Maynooth less than a week after winning the All-Ireland Club JHC with Ballygiblin, featured from the start and put on a clinic of dead-ball accuracy, scoring eight frees and a 65.
It was 0-11 to 0-7 at half-time, with Eoin Carey, Cotter and Barrett all on target while UCD had failed to score from play. Once again, Conor Cahalane ushered in the new half with a point but this time it was a platform for UCC to build on, with Luke Elliott and Brian Hayes helping them to move seven points clear.

Solid defending ensured that UCD were unable to find the goals that were looking more and more necessary while Flynn continued to tack on frees. UCC were 0-19 to 0-11 to the good as the end neared before a pair of UCD points gave the final scoreline a closer look.

ATU Galway (formerly Galway-Mayo IT) began with a 13-point loss at home to UL, who then beat TUS Midwest by 14. That left the final game as a straight play-off for second place and ATU Galway came out on top by 2-21 to 1-18. Kevin Cooney scored eight points for the winners, with the goals scored by Niall Coen and Cian Folen.

The winners will face the side that emerges from the game between University of Galway – who topped MTU Cork’s group – and SETU Carlow, which starts at 6pm tonight. At 7.45pm, UL, host UCD. The victorious side there will clash with the winners of last night’s game between DCU Dóchas Éireann and SETU Waterford.