Despite losing out to UCC in their final group game in the Fitzgibbon Cup yesterday, NUIG still advance to the quarter finals after UCD could only manage a 2 point win over UL last night in Belfield. Jeff Lynskeys side will now travel to Limerick next week to take on LIT.
Fitzgibbon Quarter-Finals:
LIT v NUI Galway
Mary Immaculate v Cork IT
DCU v DIT
UCC v IT Carlow
UCC 1-19 NUIG 0-15
An early goal from Shane Kingston ensured that UCC assured themselves of top spot in Group A with victory over NUIG in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. UCC were a whopping 1-13 to 0-5 at half-time after playing with the elements, but knowing that every point was valuable in their efforts to improve their score difference, NUIG battled back in the second half to cut the margin to 7 points. That meant UCD would have to beat UL by 10 points or more later that evening to deny the Galway college a place in the last eight.
Scorers – UCC: S Conway 0-7 (5f), S Kingston 1-0, C O’Leary (2f), M Kehoe 0-3 each, D Griffin, M Coleman 0-2 each, E Sheehan, C Roche 0-1 each. NUIG: E Niland 0-9 (7f), M Lynch 0-2, C Sheedy, S Loftus, I Fox, D Burke (f) 0-1 each.
UCC – J Barry; K Dwyer, E Gunning, N O’Leary; C O’Leary, P O’Loughlin, D Griffin; C Browne, M Coleman; C Roche, S Kingston, M O’Halloran; S Conway, M Kehoe, E Sheehan. Subs: R O’Flynn for O’Halloran (43), N Montgomery for Conway (49), S Hayes for Kingston (55), D Walsh for O’Loughlin (56), J O’Sullivan for Roche (59).
NUIG – S Hennessy; C Caulfield, J Fitzpatrick, A Greaney; D Connolly, P Hoban, S Loftus; I Fox, B Concannon; M Lynch, D Burke, C Whelan; E Niland, L Forde, C Sheedy. Subs: P Monaghan for Burke (21, injured), S Fletcher for Monaghan (44, injured), S Kennedy for Forde (55), C Fahey for Sheedy (60).
Ref – J Murphy (Limerick)
After the game, NUIG manager Jeff Lynskey spoke to Oisin Lanagan and had great praise for the Cork college...
https://galwaybayfmsports.podbean.com/mf/play/64nbvd/JEFFREY_LYNSKEY_POST_UCC.mp3
UCD 3-8 UL 0-15
Despite a last-gasp win over UL at Belfield tonight, UCD crashed out of the Fitzgibbon Cup. Requiring a victory of at least 10 points to usurp second placed NUIG, the south Dublin college fell short in their quest for a knockout spot. This result means 2018 champions UL finished Group A with three straight defeats - but they can consider themselves unfortunate to have lost out in this contest. UCD trailed at half time by 0-9 to 2-2 and UL held on to that lead until a Jake Malone sideline cut deep into stoppage-time drifted past stranded UL netminder Barry Hogan.
Scorers - UCD: R Hayes 0-5 (4f), J Malone 1-1 (1-0 s/line), S Quirke, P Crummey 1-0 each, M Cody, S Carey 0-1 each. UL: B Murphy 0-6 (5f), B Nash, I Galvin 0-3 each, R Lynch, C Cleary, JP Lucey 0-1 each.
UCD - B Hogan; I O’Shea, R Lennon, G Molloy; M Cody, H Lawlor, D Fitzgerald; C MacGabhann, R Hayes; R Purcell, S Flanagan, P Guinan; P Crummey, S Quirke, S Carey. Subs: J Malone for Purcell (h-t), B O’Connor for MacGabhann (50), C McGuckian for Flanagan (54), D Ryan for Crummey (58).
UL - J Power; J Henley, E Cody, A McGuane; R Lynch, C Cleary, B Coady; J Shelly, M Carey; T Hannon, B Nash, I Galvin; B Murphy, K O’Brien, JP Lucey. Subs: B Hogan for Power, K Hayes for Lucey (both h-t), L Lyons for Henley (42), D Joy for Murphy (56-58), Joy for McGuane (58).
