UCC footballers well beaten by Maynooth in quarter-final
Bishopstown's Gary Holland kicked two points for UCC in the league quarter-final. Picture: Larry Cummins
UCC were well beaten by NUI Maynooth in the Higher Education Senior Football League quarter-final at the Mardyke.
Under the new rules, which includes four points for a goal, the hosts were off the pace. The visitors that came through a tie ultimately decided at the break with the scoreboard reading 2-13 to 0-5.
Harry Plunkett – after finishing his domestic club season as top scorer in the Offaly championship – topped the charts for Maynooth against a UCC side that never got going. The College could not cope with the forward, on a night they never once led.
They were well in front inside five minutes with Plunkett, James Harris, and Eoin Cully giving them a 0-3 to no score lead.
Maynooth continued to attack and were met with frustration in their attempts to create a goal-scoring opportunity as good passing sequences often ended with free-outs for over-carrying.
The visitors eventually started shooting from distance which led to a white flag from Rian Teahan and a two-pointer curled over the bar by Plunkett.
UCC had to wait until the 13th minute for their first point, a free from Horgan neatly curled over by 13.
Maynooth shrugged off this incursion and went on to get the game’s opening goal in the 20th minute with a soccer-like finish from Luke Killian after a good save by Callum Donnegan.
Their second came in the 28th minute with Eoin Cully drilling the ball in, pushing Maynooth further in front at 2-11 to 0-5.
There was simply nothing UCC could do to keep up with their rivals from Kildare, with their scores hard to come by against a team that made everything look easy.
Their 2-13 to 0-5 advantage at the break as more than deserved and it increased by one on the restart with Plunkett once again.
Maynooth raised a third green flag during their next spell in possession with Brian O’Halloran scrambling the ball over the line on this occasion at the back post, to make the scoreboard read 3-15 to 0-7.
UCC were soundly beaten with the rest of the game a formality.
The Students did have their best spell late on, when the battle was long over. This led to a goal chance was neatly stopped with a diving save by Fionn Moore. Things petered out at that point.
Maynooth remained in control while UCC looked to finish strong in their last competitive game before the Sigerson Cup.
J Horgan 0-5 (0-3 f), D O’Mullane 0-3 (1 2pt), G Holland 0-2 each, K Cleary, E Fitzgerald, L O'Herlihy 0-1 each.
H Plunkett 0-10 (1 2pt, 1 2 ptf), E Cully, L Killian 1-1, B O’Halloran 1-0, R Teahan, O Gruffney, J Harris 0-2 each, C Duke 0-1.
C Donnegan (Carrigaline); S Brady (Ballygarvan), F Leahy (St Michael's), D Murray (Glanmire); O Foley (Bishopstown), D Buckley (Douglas), C Keneally (Clonakilty), R O'Shaughnessy (St Michael's), E Fitzgerald, T Ashe, G Holland (Bishopstown), J Horgan, L O'Herlihy (St Michael's), K Cleary, P Fitzgerald.
J O’Sullivan for Cleary (24), O Corcoran (St Mary's) for Ashe (50), D O’Mullane (Kilmurry) for P Fitzgerald (55), D McNamara for E Fitzgerald (55).
F Moore; R Burke, C Ragett, B O’Halloran; F Dowling, J Harris, O Grufferty; D Mulcahy, R Teahan; C Duke, L Crowley, L Killian; D Finn, H Plunkett, E Cully.
Sean Lonergan (Tipperary).
App?
