UCD 0-16
DCU 1-9
Fintan O’Toole reports from DCU Sportsground
CHAMPIONS IN 2016 and beaten finalists in 2017, UCD are now a game away from a third successive final appearance after negotiating the quarter-final hurdle posed by DCU this afternoon.
Kerry senior midfielders Jack Barry and Barry O’Sullivan provided a strong platform for the side managed by John Divily that made an explosive start as they went ahead 0-7 to 0-0 after the first quarter with Monaghan’s Conor McCarthy and Laois forward Evan O’Carroll in sparkling form up front.
Their advantage was whittled down to a single point by the interval with DCU boosted by a 29th minute Diarmuid Murtagh goal and Éanna Ó Conchúir notched the point early in the second half that brought DCU level.
But DCU could never forge ahead and were wounded by the dismissal of defender Ciaran Boylan in the 53rd minute. UCD were able to close out the game successfully to set up a semi-final meeting with Jordanstown next Tuesday as O’Carroll and fellow Laois attacker Eoin Lowry were on song in front of goal in the closing stages.
The opening exchanges suggested UCD were on course for a routine success with McCarthy and O’Carroll – who had struck 0-5 apiece by the full-time whistle – the chief architects in attack.
DCU did not post a score on the board until the 20th minute when Steven O’Brien hit over an excellent score and despite trailing 0-8 to 0-2 by the 24th minute, they bagged 1-2 without reply before the break.
DCU benefited from a referee decision when Mayo’s Stephen Coen was blown for over-carrying despite looking to have been fouled originally and the altertness of Diarmuid O’Connor saw him quickly despatch a delivery towards the UCD goalmouth.
Roscommon’s Murtagh escaped the clutches of Dublin’s Cillian O’Shea to gather the ball and thump a shot to the net. The 0-8 to 1-4 deficit looked manageable for DCU and Ó Conchúir, one of their most threatening forwards on the day, knocked over a fine point upon the resumption.
But UCD upped the ante to hit five of the next six points in the game and they pushed clear by 0-13 to 1-6 at the end of the third quarter.
A couple of superb points by Mayo’s Paddy Durcan and Ó Conchúir kept DCU in touch yet UCD never allowed them to be fueled by thoughts of a dramatic comeback.
Instead O’Carroll’s immaculate free-taking from distance and the strength of Barry at midfield were shining features in the finale as UCD held on for a four-point success.
Scorers for UCD: Evan O’Carroll (0-1f, 0-1 ’45), Conor McCarthy (0-4f) 0-5 each, Eoin Lowry 0-3 (0-3f), Jack Barry, Tom Hayes, Liam Casey 0-1 each.
Scorers for DCU: Diarmuid Murtagh 1-3 (0-2f), Eanna O Conchuir 0-3 (0-1f), Diarmuid O’Connor, Stephen O’Brien, Paddy Durcan 0-1 each.
UCD
1. Charlie Manton (Fethard, Tipperary)
2. Luke Fortune (Cavan Gaels, Cavan)
3. Cillian O’Shea (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin)
4. Conor Mullally (Cuala, Dublin)
22. Peter Healy (St Enda’s, Antrim)
6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore, Mayo)
7. Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule, Tipperary)
8. Barry O’Sullivan (Dingle, Kerry)
9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil, Kerry)
10. Liam Casey (Cahir, Tipperary)
11. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown, Monaghan)
13. Brian Byrne (Naas, Kildare)
26. Tom Hayes (Cootehill, Cavan)
14. Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard, Laois)
15. Eoin Lowry (Killeshin, Laois)
Subs
17. Liam Silke (Corofin, Galway) for Feehan (46)
27. Larry Moran (Killoe, Longford) for Hayes (53)
25. Brian Ó Seanacháin (Ballydonoghue, Kerry) for Casey (56)
12. Patrick O’Connor (St Farnan’s, Sligo) for Lowry (61)
DCU
1. Evan Comerford (Ballymun Kickhams, Dublin)
17. Ciaran Boylan (Meath)
3. Fintan Kelly (Clones, Monaghan)
23. Declan Monaghan (Clontarf, Dublin)
5. Dessie Ward (Ballybay, Monaghan)
6. Shairoze Akram (Ballaghaderreen, Mayo)
7. Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels, Mayo)
8. Stephen O’Brien (Ballina, Tipperary)
9. Caolan McGonagle (Buncrana, Donegal)
10. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber, Mayo)
11. Shane Carthy (Naomh Mearnóg, Dublin)
12. Dessie Reynolds (Sean Connolly’s, Longford)
13. Micheál Bannigan (Aughnamullen, Monaghan)
33. Diarmuid Murtagh (St Faithleach’s, Roscommon)
11. Éanna Ó Conchuir (An Ghaeltacht, Kerry)
Subs
28. Cian Breheny (St Mary’s, Sligo) for Bannigan (28)
32. Conor Bradley (Ramor United, Cavan) for O’Brien (half-time)
25. Michael Hall (Breaffy, Mayo) for Monaghan (39)
26. Thomas Galligan (Lacken, Cavan) for Reynolds (52)
Referee: Brendan Cawley
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