Heartache again for UCC ladies football in AIG O'Connor Cup final

DCU Dóchas Éireann 2-11 UCC 1-9 

Meath star Emma Duggan amassed an impressive personal tally of 1-5 at Queen’s University in Belfast on Saturday as DCU Dóchas Éireann claimed their third consecutive AIG O’Connor Cup crown with a five-point victory over UCC.

In a repeat of last year’s decider, Emily Lacey edged UCC in front with a fourth-minute free. The Laois attacker also curled over a point from play in response to a similar effort by Leah Fox at the far end of the pitch, but DCU DÉ (who are managed by Lacey's inter-county boss Stephen Duff) kicked into life when wing-forward Clodagh Lohan poked the ball to the net from close range on nine minutes.

UCC kept themselves in contention thanks to Emma Morrissey and Lacey trading points with Kildare defender Ruth Sargent and team captain Duggan, before the latter kicked a fine score from play just past the first-quarter mark.

DCU DÉ’s Maria Cannon and Morrissey proceeded to swapped points, in advance of Duggan’s speculative effort on 26 minutes slipping through the fingertips of opposite netminder Caoimhe Richmond for the title holders’ second goal of the action.

While this was a set-back for Joe Carroll’s outfit, Leah Hallihan and Lacey kicked further points to leave DCU DÉ just four to the good (2-5 to 0-7) at half-time.

It was an initially tentative start to the second half, but DCU DÉ eventually increased their lead when the multi-talented Kate Kenny, player of the match in the 2023 decider, swung over a point off her trusty left boot on 37 minutes. Yet UCC were certainly not out of the reckoning and when Morrissey gathered the ball close to goal moments after Kenny’s point, she rattled the net with clinical precision to bring fresh life to the game.

Although DCU DÉ settled again with a point from two-time TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship winner Duggan, the industrious McMaugh squeezed a shot over the bar in the 47th minute to keep alive UCC’s dreams of securing a first O’Connor Cup success since 2012.

Yet Waterford star McMaugh soon found herself in the sin bin and in her absence DCU DÉ tagged on points through substitute Aisling Hanly and Duggan. UCC did remain in the hunt with another successful Morrissey free, but DCU DÉ ultimately replicated the college's three in-a-row team of 2009-2011 with the help of late points from the excellent Duggan and Lohan.

Scorers for DCU Dóchas Éireann: E Duggan 1-5 (0-2 f), C Lohan 1-1, R Sargent, M Cannon, L Fox, K Kenny, A Hanly 0-1 each.

UCC: E Morrissey 1-3 (0-3 f), E Lacey 0-4 (0-1 f), B McMaugh, L Hallihan 0-1 each.

DCU: R Murray; N Donlon, L Lenehan, C Durkan; S Reynolds, R Sargent, C Charters; K Owens, H McGinnis; C Lohan, E Duggan, M Cannon; L Fox, K Kenny, F McLaughlin. 

Subs: A Cullen for Owens, A Hanly for Fox (both 46), J Mortimer for McGinnis (55), J Lyons for Cannon (57).

UCC: C Richmond; D Kiniry, E Power, R Sheehan; A Corcoran, R Corkery, R Ennis; A Healy, A Harrington; A O’Neill, B McMaugh, E Lacey; L Hallihan, E Morrissey, A Ring. 

Subs: S McGoldrick for Harrington (41), J Gill for Ring, E Twomey for O’Neill (both 55), K Redmond for Ennis, A McDonagh for Corkery (both 60).

Referee: Eddie Cuthbert (Laois).