Fitzgibbon Cup: MTU Cork seeking to reach semi-finals for the first time in a decade

MTU Cork will look to bridge a decade-long gap as they travel to Limerick this evening to face TUS Midwest in the quarter-finals of the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup (throw-in 6.30pm).

Having finished second in Group B to UCC following defeat in last week’s all-Cork derby, Pádraig Gould’s side will face the winners of the three-team Group C, with TUS having been guaranteed a home quarter-final as the winners of the four-team groups – UL and UCC – received semi-final byes.

After reaching two finals in three years in 2012 and 2014, losing to UCC and Waterford IT respectively, the college then known as Cork IT reached the semi-finals in 2015. Despite 1-6 from Austin Gleeson and eight points by his Waterford colleague Pauric Mahony, the Bishopstown institution lost out to WIT by 1-20 to 0-19.

A year later, despite topping their group, they lost at home to UL in the quarter-finals and the incremental decline followed in 2017 as they failed to make the knockout stages. That was followed by another year of being unable to progress from the group but, since then, the past five editions (there was no competition in 2021) have seen MTU alternate between the quarter-finals and group-stage exits.

Last year, they finished second to SETU Waterford in the group after managing to secure a draw in the last match at home to DCU Dóchas Éireann but, despite battling hard for 40 minutes in the quarter-final away to the University of Galway, there were few complaints with a 4-24 to 1-13 loss in Dangan.

This time around, MTU have been bolstered by the additions of All-Ireland U20 medallists Darragh O’Sullivan, Diarmuid Healy and Micheál Mullins while Alan Connolly, absent for the last two campaigns due to injury, has given an extra cutting edge to an attack that also features Jack Cahalane and Alan Walsh as well as Waterford’s Seán Walsh.

Starting off with the same fixture as that which ended last year’s campaign, MTU exorcised any demons with a superb 1-18 to 1-15 win in Galway. Connolly contributed eight points with the goal coming from Alan Walsh while the ever-reliable Ciarán Joyce and Sam Fitzgerald of Waterford played key roles around the middle sector.

With UCC having beaten UCD, it meant that MTU’s trip to Belfield offered the chance of qualification with a game to spare and they took that in impressive fashion – Connolly scored 1-5 while David O’Sullivan and Mikey Finn found the net as they triumphed by 3-21 to 1-15.

Healy and Seán Walsh featured heavily among the points with Brian Lynch of Ballinhassig putting in a good shift, too.

Though they lost the last match at home to UCC, Joyce and Connolly were rested and now MTU will seek to rediscover their momentum as they trek up the N20. A win for MTU would set up a semi-final against UL.

Having drawn their opening game with DCU, TUS Midwest beat Maynooth University to top their group on scoring difference. Tipperary pair Paddy Donnellan in defence and Kyle Shelly in attack are key men for the Limerick outfit.