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Galway hurler Cathal Mannion starred for NUI Galway. Cathal Noonan/INPHO
fox in the box

Fox on the double as NUI Galway demolish DIT

A win against UL on Tuesday would guarantee a Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final spot for Tony Ward’s charges.

NUI Galway 3-18

DIT 2-7

A BLISTERING FIRST-HALF from NUI Galway, including two goals in two minutes from John Fox, saw them claim an impressive victory over DIT at Dangan.

The win means Tony Ward’s side still need to beat champions UL next Tuesday in the final Group C game to guarantee their spot in the last eight.

Galway seniors Conor Whelan and Cathal Mannion showed real menace up front for NUI Galway, while Clare’s Bobby Duggan hit seven points for the 2010 champions.

Whelan landed three brilliant points, but Cathal Mannion’s 21st minute goal was a critical score, which gave his side a seven-point lead.

A minute later DIT could have ignited their hopes of a comeback, but Westmeath’s Derek McNicholas blasted his penalty over the bar, while Fox’s goals in the 29th and 30th minutes gave NUI Galway a 3-12 to 0-4 half-time lead.

After the break DIT were much-improved as NUI Galway failed to go for jugular. Two points from Glen Whelan were followed by goals from Jack Guiney and Jude Sweeney, but NUI Galway held solid and finished the job with points from Padraic Mannion and the impressive Oisin Donnellan.

Should DIT beat Mary Immaculate in their last Group C game, NUI Galway can still qualify for the last eight in defeat on Tuesday, but a win will guarantee their progress.

Scorers for NUI Galway: B Duggan 0-7 (5f), J Fox 2-0, C Mannion 1-2, C Whelan 0-3, P Mannion 0-2, N O’Brien 0-2, O Donnellan 0-2.

Scorers for DIT: J Guiney 1-0, J Sweeney 1-0, D McNicholas 0-2 (0-1pen), G Whelan 0-2, AJ Murphy 0-1, C O’Donoghue 0-1 (1’65), L Chin 0-1.

NUI Galway

1 Cathal Tuohy (Galway)

2 Conor Ryan (Tipperary)
3 Barry Fitzpatrick (Clare)
4 Ger Forde (Galway)

5 Shane Cooney (Galway)
6 John Hanbury (Galway)
7 Padraic Mannion (Galway)

8 Niall O’Brien (Westmeath)
9 Oisin Donnellan (Clare)

10 Bobby Duggan (Clare)
11 Kevin McHugo (Galway)
12 Mike Mullins (Galway)

13 John Fox (Limerick)
14 Conor Whelan (Galway)
15 Cathal Mannion (Galway)

Subs:
25 Eamonn Brannigan for O’Brien (43)
23 Ryan Taylor for Fox (46)
17 Liam Kilcline (Roscommon) for Cooney (53)
19 Aidan Helebert for Mullins (53)
22 Robbie Lane for Donnellan (60).

DIT

1 Paddy McKenna (Kildare)

2 Sean McClelland (Dublin)
3 Thomas Doyle (Westmeath)
4 Conor Robinson (Dublin)

5 Donal Guinan (Offaly)
28 William Irish (Kilkenny)
7 Shane Barrett (Dublin)

8 Glenn Whelan (Dublin)
6 Lee Chin (Wexford)

9 Robbie Greville (Westmeath)
11 Jack Guiney (Wexford)
12 Conor Sheehan (Limerick)

13 AJ Murphy (Dublin)
14 Derek McNicholas (Westmeath)
16 Daniel Mottram (Galway).

Subs
10 Jude Sweeney (Dublin)for Murphy (h-t)
15 Cian O’Donoghue (Kilkenny) for Mottram (39)
21 Evan McInerney (Clare) for Sheehan (41).

Referee: Kevin McGeeney (Roscommon).

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