WATERFORD IT 0-17
CORK IT 0-12
WATERFORD INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY secured their ninth Fitzgibbon Cup, and first in six years, with victory over Cork Institute of Technology in Belfast today.
It was WIT who got the better of the opening exchanges, racing into an 0-4 to no score lead after just four minutes thanks to frees from Pauric Mahony and long-range efforts from Jake Dillon and Eoin Murphy.
Indeed, it would take 11 minutes for CIT to get on the scoreboard, John O’Dwyer scoring a free after David Drake was adjudged to have been fouled.
It was WIT who remained on top though and had the game’s best chance for a goal when Liam McGrath hit a rasping shot from a tight angle on 24 minutes but his shot flew over the bar to give Waterford an 0-8 to 0-4 lead.
Cork fought back and points from Bill Cooper and O’Dwyer (2) brought them back within one score with two minutes to go in the half. Once again, Waterford responded and scores from Dillon and Cathal Kenny gave them a 0-10 to 0-7 half-time lead.
While CIT levelled the game at 10 apiece shortly after the interval, they never got their noses in front and four unanswered points after Daniel Dooley’s shot from a tight angle hit the side-netting for Cork was enough to secure the win for WIT.
It is Cork’s third time to fall at the final hurdle after losing at this stage in 2003 and 2012.
Scorers for WIT: Pauric Mahony (0-4f), Jake Dillon 0-4 each, Cathal Kenny, Harry Kehoe 0-3, Johnny Hayes, Eoin Murphy, Liam McGrath 0-1 each.
Scorers for CIT: John O’Dwyer 0-5 (0-4f), Bill Cooper, Conor Hammersley, John Cronin 0-2 each, Mark Ellis 0-1.
WATERFORD IT: Stephen O’Keeffe (Waterford); Ger Teehan (Kilkenny), Pauric Gahan (Kilkenny), Jerome Maher (Waterford); Thomas Hamill (Tipperary), Joe O’Dwyer (Tipperary), Jack Langton (Kilkenny); Stephen Roche (Waterford), Cathal Kenny (Kilkenny); Harry Kehoe (Wexford), Pauric Mahony (Waterford), Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny); Liam McGrath (Tipperary), Jake Dillon (Waterford), Gavin O’Brien (Waterford).
Subs: Johnny Hayes (Kilkenny) for McGrath (47), Andrew Kenny (Wexford) for O’Dwyer (51).
CORK IT: (Cork unless stated): Stephen Nyhan; Stephen Murphy, Alan Dennehy, Tomás Lawrence; Eoin Keane, Mark Ellis, Pádraig Butler; Paul Virgo, Jamie Coughlan; John O’Dwyer (Tipperary), John Cronin, Conor Hammersley (Tipperary); Bill Cooper, Daniel Dooley, David Drake.
Subs: Kevin O’Connor (Cork) for Coughlan (23), David Corbett (Tipperary) for Virgo (38), Kevin Hallissey (Cork) for Drake (47), Jason Lonergan (Tipperary) for Corbett (inj) (55), Stephen Murray (Tipperary) for Cooper (57).
Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath).
