UCC's Sigerson success will go down as one of the most memorable of all time
UCC goalkeeper Dylan Foley celebrates at the final whistle. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Gezo
FAST forward 10 years. It’s the first reunion of the UCC 2023 Sigerson Cup-winning side and they’ve come from all over to recall an epic year.
Instead of a one-nighter they’ve made it a weekend simply because there’s so much to talk about, six games, extra time, penalties, Biblical weather and so much more.
Already, the story has been recalled in a book and the documentary went down a bomb, too, but the lads were meeting up again in the flesh and sure only they know what really happened or nearly didn’t.
A lot of them have become noticeably greyer up top, some not even requiring a comb or a brush, others have obviously slackened off training as evident in expanding waistlines, but what the heck, there’s going to be some craic.
Of the College’s 24 Sigersons, this must be the most special. Of course, the other 23 have their own great storylines, but you suspect the class of 2023 have the most appealing tale of all to tell. Problem is where to start.
There was nothing routine about it, apart from maybe the second game against ATU Galway after UL stunned College with a 2-7 to 0-10 opening night victory in a storm up the Dyke, the Cork students getting back on the horse with a 1-12 to 0-8 win.
Ok, the semi-final against TU Dublin could be considered straightforward in that College hung on for 1-12 to 0-13 success, but it was still hairy at times and certainly not good for anyone with a heart condition.
That’s half of the six and as for the other three you’d need to fell a portion of a rain forest for the necessary paper print to record just a fraction of the drama and excitement in the two games against Belfast’s Queens and St Mary’s never mind the final.
They couldn’t sort it in normal time in either tie and extra-time didn’t provide a solution either, so penalties were called for with College holding their nerve and keeper Dylan Foley, who doesn’t even play in goal with his club Éire Óg, entering UCC football folklore.
Wednesday night’s final repeat with UL in many ways reflected the campaign as a whole and all that was lacking was another penalty shoot-out at the end of another game which went to extra time.
It was never going to be as horrendous as experienced the first night, but it was heading in that direction, the old Waterford IT venue lashed with strengthening winds and drenching rain the longer the absorbing contest went on.
The only goal was the first score, Dylan Geaney instinctively fisting Cathail O’Mahony’s poorly hit free to the net past bemused UL players.
What seemed like an eternity later, College had come out the right side of a 1-16 to 0-16 result, the Dingle forward’s goal the difference on the scoreboard, but that hardly gets a mention in the unfolding drama.
It looked like during the second half of normal time that UL would at last get their hands on the cup and make up for last season’s disappointment against University of Galway.
Backed by the strengthening wind, the Limerick students fired seven points without reply to edge two in front but with a quarter-of-an-hour still to play, more than enough time for a club like UCC with such tradition and history to mount a comeback.
And it duly materialised and not only did College get back on level terms, but they reclaimed the lead once more and on it went, UL drawing level again, UCC getting their noses in front once more before UL forced extra time.
Seasoned campaigners tell you the most important part of extra time is getting on the scoreboard first and UCC had clearly bought into that thought process because they kicked three points against the gale in the opening period as fatigue impacted.
One of the main differences between the sides was the respective scoring power of the inside lines. UCC’s starting trio, Geaney, Man-of-the-Match Mark Cronin and Cathail O’Mahony contributed 1-9 of their 1-16 and Sean O’Connor, who replaced the injured O’Mahony, also claimed a point.
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