IT FINISHED ALL square in the Group A action today with two draws in the games that took place.
As a result heading into the last group of games next Tuesday, all four teams are still in contention.
UCC top the group with 3 points, while NUI Galway and Mary Immaculate have 2 points each and GMIT are on 1 points.
Next Tuesday’s games see UCC face NUI Galway in the Mardyke while GMIT play Mary Immaculate in Carnmore.
Here’s how today’s games unfolded.
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UCC 1-13
Mary Immaculate College 1-13
A last-gasp goal by Luke O’Farrell rescued a draw for Mary Immaculate College today against UCC.
Mary Immaculate College were at home in Limerick for the clash and were grateful to O’Farrell, a member of the UCC team that featured in the Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final two years ago, for his late intervention that rescued a point for the side managed by Eamon Cregan.
Mary Immaculate, inspired again by Clare senior John Conlon who followed up last week’s haul of 0-12 with a return of 0-8 in this game, lead narrowly at the interval by 0-10 to 1-6. Brian Hartnett raised the green flag for a UCC team forced to start without the injured Seamus Harnedy.
In the second-half UCC took over with Hartnett and Paul Haughney amongst their point-scorers while Killian Murphy and William Egan were both outstanding in defence.
Yet Mary Immaculate, who had Limerick’s Declan Hannon at the heart of their defence, battled on and got their reward when O’Farrell grabbed the goal that brought his overall return to 1-2.
Scorers for UCC: Brian Hartnett 1-5 (0-5f), Paul Haughney 0-3, Brian Lawton, Brian Murray, Dan McCormack, Conor Lehane, William Egan (0-1f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Mary Immaculate: John Conlon 0-8 (0-8f) Luke O’Farrell 1-2, Declan Hannon 0-2 (0-1f), Jamie Wall 0-1.
UCC: Darren McCarthy (Ballymartle, Cork); Killian Ryan (Ruan, Clare), David Glynn (Dicksboro, Kilkenny), Killian Murphy (Erins Own, Cork); James Barry (Upperchurch-Drombane, Tipperary), William Egan (Kilbrin, Cork), Padraig Prendergast (Lismore, Waterford); Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr, Cork), Paul Haughney (Midleton, Cork); Cormac Murphy (Mallow, Cork), Dan McCormack (Borrisoleigh, Tipperary), Brian Hartnett (Midleton, Cork); Brian O’Sullivan (Ballygunner, Waterford), Brian Murray (Bishopstown, Cork), Conor Lehane (Midleton, Cork).
Subs: Seamus Harnedy (St Ita’s, Cork) for Murray, Mark Sugrue (Bandon, Cork) for McCormack.
MARY IMMACULATE: Shane Nolan (Toomevara, Tipperary); Eanna Hogan (Kilruane McDonaghs, Tipperary), Robert O’Donnell (Pallasgreen, Limerick), Cilian Fennessey (Clonlara, Clare); Niall O’Meara (Kilruane McDonagh’s, Tipperary), Declan Hannon (Adare, Limerick), Jamie Wall (Kilbrittain, Cork); Killian Fitzgerald (Passage, Waterford), Lar Considine (Patrickswell, Limerick); Colm Galvin (Clonlara, Clare), William Hickey (South Liberties, Limerick), Sean Curran (Mullinahone, Tipperary); Brian O’Halloran (Clashmore, Waterford), John Colon (Clonlara, Clare), Luke O’Farrell (Midleton, Cork).
Subs: Mark O’Connell (Glenroe, Limerick) for Fitzgerald, Eoin Hogan (Tipperary) for Considine, Darragh O’Carroll (Fermoy, Cork) for Hickey.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway)
Niall Burke shot 1-9 for NUI Galway today. Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
NUI Galway 2-13
GMIT 2-13
Late points by Galway’s Tadhg Haran and Mayo’s Kenny Feeney rescued a draw for GMIT in Dangan this afternoon against Galway third-level rivals NUIG.
A 14-man NUIG team, who had Cormac Diviney dismissed during the second-half, looked set to be hanging on for success until they were pegged back by those late points in injury-time.
NUIG got off to a great start when Joseph Cooney found the net inside the first minute but then Conor O’Donnell replied with a GMIT goal in the 10th minute and Shane Lawless raised a green flag in the 18th minute.
However NUI Galway, inspired by Niall Burke, were ahead 1-7 to 2-3 at the interval and it was the Galway senior attacker’s second-half goal that helped them lead 2-13 to 2-11 approaching full-time.
Yet GMIT mounted a late rally and this year’s Fitzgibbon Cup final hosts still have aspirations of reaching the quarter-finals ahead of the last round of group games next Tuesday.
Scorers for NUI Galway: Niall Burke 1-9 (0-6f), Joseph Cooney 1-1, Billy Lane 0-2, Daithi Burke 0-1.
Scorers for GMIT: Tadhg Haran 0-7 (0-6f), Conor O’Donnell, Shane Lawless 1-1 each, Jason Kilkenny 0-2, Aidan Lynch, Kenny Feeney 0-1 each.
NUI Galway: Donal Tuohy (Crusheen, Clare); David Magner (Ballinamere, Offaly), Cormac Diviney (Ardrahan, Galway), Kevin Moynihan (Eire Og, Clare); Sean McCormack (Borrisoleigh, Tipperary), Brian Flaherty (Abbeyknockmoy, Galway), Liam Markham (Cratloe, Clare); Eamonn Glynn (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare), Dean Higgins (Castlegar, Galway); Niall Burke (Oranmore-Maree, Galway), Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields, Galway), Kevin Downes (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick); Gerard O’Donoghue (Gort, Galway), Daithi Burke (Turloughmore, Galway), Billy Lane (Clarinbridge, Galway).
Subs: Barry Daly (Clarinbridge, Galway) for Magnier.
GMIT: Joe Keane (Portumna, Galway); Brian Hunt (Ballyhaunis, Mayo), Sean Coughlan (Seir Kieran, Offaly), Gerard O’Halloran (Craughwell, Galway); Brian Mulrooney (Seir Kieran, Offaly), Paul Hoban (Loughrea, Galway), Mattie Donoghue (Moycullen, Galway); Gary Brennan (Oranmore-Maree, Galway), Kenny Feeney (Tooreen, Mayo); Kevin Lane (Ballinderreen, Galway), Jason Kilkenny (Kiltormer, Galway), Aidan Lynch (Ruan, Clare); Conor O’Donnell (Crusheen, Clare), Shane Lawless (Kilnadeema-Leitrim, Galway), Tadhg Haran (Liam Mellowes, Galway).
Subs: Darragh Cooney (Killimordaly) for Mulrooney.
Referee: Cathal McAllister (Cork)
