24-time winners UCC book another final spot: 'We are over the moon'

UCC manager Paul O’Keeffe had a beaming smile after his side booked their place in the Sigerson Cup final.

The Cork side didn’t play to their best but eked out a 1-11 to 1-8 victory over University of Galway at the Mardyke on Thursday night.

UCC will be going for a 25th Sigerson Cup title when they take on either Queen’s University Belfast or University of Limerick in Croke Park next Wednesday night.

That other semi-final encounter is on later on today.

For O’Keeffe, he’s looking forward to the decider at GAA HQ.

“It's going to be a fantastic occasion and it's a massive showcase for Sigerson and Fitzgibbon competitions,” he said post-match.

“It's a brilliant idea to host the finals in Croke Park and I just can't wait for it now. I'm a bit shell-shocked after this game, but brilliant, I can't wait.

“It's massive. How many times do you get to play in Croke Park in a final? I've never been up there in terms of playing or managing, so it's going to be a massive occasion.

“The boys have risen to every occasion so far, so it'll be a great event. Hopefully we win the match, but yeah, it'll be phenomenal.

“We'll get a good look at our opponents tomorrow night and we'll do our homework, regroup early next week, and do our video stuff, all the usual, so it's just a case of keeping lads ticking over for the next week or so and see where we go.” 

It wasn’t UCC's best performance of the campaign by any stretch of the imagination against University of Galway, but semi-finals are all about winning.

“Semi-finals are ugly, it's just about getting the result,” the St Finbarr’s clubman says.

“At half-time, we'd have been disappointed being level. We had a few goal chances and we let them back into the game. A lot of turnovers, sloppy stuff, but it was all nerves.

“I said to the lads before the game to play the match, not the occasion, and I think the occasion was beginning to get to them.

“Some of the odds that were given before the games this season were crazy stuff. I think we were 4-1 in the last game to win, so I'd like to thank Paddy Power’s for that one! In all seriousness, Sigerson is so tight, any team can beat any other team.

“You see some ridiculous odds and stuff like that, but it's all about the desire in the team. We'll just drive on from here. We are over the moon.”