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NUIG's Niall O'Brien celebrates scoring a point. INPHO/James Crombie
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O'Brien inspires NUI Galway to secure Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final berth

Two goals in the first quarter from Mark Aylward were not enough for DCU.

NUI Galway 2-20

DCU 2-16

WESTMEATH NATIVE NIALL O’Brien was the hero for NUI Galway as his 12-point haul helped the westerners to qualify for a Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final berth.

Two goals in the first quarter from Mark Aylward were not enough for the Dubliners, who were dominated for the most part after that positive opening.

Donal Breathnach was superb for DCU — he also landed 12 points from midfield — but they now have to beat DIT next week to be in with any chance of a spot in the last eight.

Crucially, Gerard O’Donoghue goaled for NUI Galway two minutes from the break to give his side a 1-13 to 2-5 advantage at the interval, but it wasn’t until 12 minutes from time that they could relax when Brendan Phelan poked home.

With Billy Lane and Gerard Forde particularly impressive, NUI Galway — who lined out without Limerick’s Kevin Downes because of club commitments — relied heavily on O’Brien’s accuracy from frees to keep them in touch in the first-half.

Phelan’s goal gave them an eight-point cushion in the closing stages, but with Breathnach and Padraig Breheny tagging on late points, the four-point win didn’t accurately underline NUI Galway’s dominance.

Scorers – NUI Galway: Niall O’Brien 0-12 (9fs, 1’65), Brendan Phelan 1-1, Gerard O’Donoghue 1-0, Gerard Forde 0-2, Eoin Teagle, Billy Lane, Micheal Mullins, Dean Higgins & David Reidy 0-1 each. DCU: Donal Breathnach 0-12 (0-9, 1’65), Mark Aylward 2-0, Padraig Breheny 0-2, David Gavin & Cathal Curran 0-1 each

NUIG: Kevin Flynn (Tipperary); David Magner (Offaly), Eoin Fahy (Galway), Cormac Divney (Galway); Gerard Forde (Galway), Conor Cleary (Clare), Eoin Teagle (Galway); John Paul O’Connell (Galway), Niall O’Brien (Westmeath); Dean Higgins (Galway), Billy Lane (Galway), Michael Mullins (Galway); Gerard O’Donoghue (Galway), Brendan Phelan (Waterford), David Reidy (Clare).

Subs: Gordon Joyce (Cork) for Diviney, blood 26-28, Gordon Joyce for Magner, 51.

DCU: Padraic Burke (Galway); Ger Grace (Tipeprary), Robert Lennon (Kilkenny), Gary Bennett (Carlow); Alan Cormican (Galway), Pat O’Carroll (Kilkenny), Eoin Corcoran (Kilkenny); Donal Breathnach (Waterford), Padraig Breheny (Galway); Cormac Ryan (Dublin), Tony French (Wexford), David Gavin (Westmeath); Padraig Bolger (Wexford), Mark Aylward (Kilkenny), Cathal Curran (Waterford).

Subs: Niall Walsh (Kilkenny) for Corcoran, 34, Cillian Egan (Roscommon) for French, 37, James Divilly (Galway) for Bolger, 46.

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).

Other results/fixtures:

St Patrick’s-Mater Dei 1-6 Waterford IT 5-19, Alfie Byrne Road, 2.30pm, (Ref: Garrett Duffy, Antrim).

Carlow IT  v UCC, Carlow IT, 7.30pm, (Ref: James Owens, Wexford).

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