UL 2-11
UCC 3-6
UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK booked their place in tomorrow’s O’Connor Cup final after an impressive second-half performance against Munster rivals UCC in Belfast yesterday.
UCC led by a point, 2-4 to 1-6, at half-time but UL played superbly against the wind in the second half to set up an interesting rematch against defending champions and hosts Queen’s University.
In terrible weather conditions, Clare forward Niamh O’Dea hit four points against the breeze in the second half while Kerry sub Caroline McCarthy scored a 39th minute goal to wrestle the initiative away from UCC.
The Cork girls had been the better team in the first half but were undone by a lethargic second half performance. Three of their players (Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh, Doireann O’Sullivan and Cait Lynch) only returned yesterday morning from an All Stars trip to Hong Kong and fatigue may have been a factor as the game wore on.
Both teams scored goals early on, a goalkeeping blunder allowing UL’s Claire O’Sullivan’s attempt for a point drop into the back of the UCC net after just thirty seconds.
UCC replied in the fifth minute when Orlagh Farmer set up Jennifer Barry for a well-taken goal from ten yards out.
Farmer then scored the first of her two goals in the tenth minute, toe-poking the ball into the net after Barry failed to hold on to possession.
Caroline McCarthy’s goal and points from O’Dea and Doireann O’Sullivan helped UL take a 2-9 to 2-5 lead midway through the second half.
Orlagh Farmer got on the end of a well-worked move involving Doireann O’Sullivan and Hackett for UCC’s third goal in the 46th minute, but UL kept possession well in the last ten minutes and held on to their slender lead to make it through to today’s decider.
Scorers for UL: N O’Dea 0-5 (2f), C O’Sullivan 1-1, C McCarthy 1-0, R Leonard 0-2, A Tighe 0-2 (1f), L Scanlon 0-1.<
strong>Scorers for UCC: O Farmer 2-0, L Ni Mhuircheartaigh 0-3 (3f), J Barry 1-0, K Hackett, M O’Connell, D O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
UL: L Crowley (Cork); B McManus (Cork), S Tierney (Mayo), L Ryan (Clare); J White (Cork), K Keaney (Donegal), C Cooney (Galway); L Scanlon (Kerry), J Grant (Tipperary); C O’Sullivan (Kerry), R Leonard (Galway), L O’Sullivan (Kerry); A Tighe (Leitrim), N Richardson (Limerick), N O’Dea (Clare).
Subs: C McCarthy (Kerry) for C O’Sullivan (19), D Walsh (Tipperary) for Ryan (21), S Condon (Tipperary) for Walsh (45), G Carty (Sligo) for Richardson (48).
UCC: C Walsh (Cork); R Phelan (Cork), C Lynch (Mayo), A Hickey (Clare); A Hayes (Cork), A Taylor (Donegal), M O’Callaghan (Galway); J Barry (Kerry), A O’Leary (Tipperary); O Farmer (Kerry), M O’Connell (Galway), A O’Sullivan (Kerry); K Hackett (Meath), L Ni Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry), D O’Sullivan (Clare)
Subs: K O’Dea (Tipperary) for Hackett (49).
Queen’s University 3-14
DCU 2-5
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS QUEEN’S University are through to tomorrow’s O’Connor Cup final following an emphatic victory over DCU in Belfast toady.
Queen’s, who are unbeaten all year, did most of the damage in the first half when they used a strong wind advantage to rack up an interval lead of 2-7 to 1-3.
DCU scored the first two points of the game from Siobhan Woods and Lindsay Peat inside three minutes, but from there the home side completely took over and scored an unanswered 2-7 in the next 20 minutes.
Antrim full-forward Mairead Cooper scored the opening goal in the tenth minute with a low finish across the goalkeeper, and Westmeath’s Ruth Kearney fisted home the second into an empty net after 21 minutes.
Laura McEnaney, a daughter of former Monaghan and Meath manager Seamus McEnaney, then fisted home a DCU goal deep in first-half stoppage time after a pass from Cliodhna McHugh.
Queen’s quickly killed any hopes of a DCU revival by scoring the first three points of the second half.
Laura McEnaney led the DCU challenge and scored a point in the 37th minute and three minutes later the Dublin side won a penalty when Cliodhna McHugh was flattened by goalkeeper Katie Day.
Peat converted the penalty to bring DCU to within six points, 2-10 to 2-4, but that was as close as they got as Queen’s finished strong in the last quarter.
Armagh’s Caroline O’Hanlon, who switched from midfield to full-forward for the second half, scored two points from close range and Louise Kelly killed the game with Queen’s third goal after 51 minutes.
Caitlin Malone’s shot came off the upright and Kelly slotted home the rebound.
Kearney and McCleary tagged on further scores for the Cup holders who are now just one hour away from completing a clean sweep of All-Ireland league and O’Connor Cup titles this season.
Scorers for Queen’s University: M Cooper 1-3, F McKenna 0-5, R Kearney 1-1, L Kelly 1-0, S McCleary 0-3 (2f), C O’Hanlon 0-2.
Scorers for DCU: L McEnaney 1-1, L Peat 1-1 (penalty), S Woods 0-2, S Greene 0-1.
QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY: K Day (Armagh); D Morgan (Armagh); T McLaughlin (Tyrone), L Kilpatrick (Tyrone); N Woods (Tyrone), S McCleary (Armagh), L McConville (Armagh); C Malone (Armagh), C O’Hanlon (Armagh); M Doherty (Down), F McKenna (Armagh), R Kearney (Westmeath); A Canavan (Tyrone), M Cooper (Antrim), L Kelly (Tyrone).
Subs: C McCrossan (Tyrone) for Canavan (52), A McCoy (Armagh) for McConville (55) G Byrne (Donegal) for O’Hanlon (57).
DCU: A Tarpey (Mayo); N Doonan (Cavan), L Ryder (Mayo), A Bell (Mayo); S Greene (Cavan), M Naughton (Mayo), D Murphy (Dublin); C McManamon (Mayo), B Walsh (Galway); L Peat (Dublin), L McEnaney (Monaghan), L Caffrey (Dublin); L Collins (Dublin), C McHugh (Roscommon), S Woods (Dublin).
Subs: B O’Sullivan (Cork) for Collins (28), L O’Shea (Tipperary) for McHugh (44), A Brady (Westmeath) for Murphy (45), R Colleary (Sligo) for Caffrey (56)
Referee: Keith Delhaunty (Tipperary).
Today’s other games finished as follows:
Lynch Cup semi-finals
St Pat’s Drumcondra 2-15 DKIT 2-7
Cork IT 3-15 Robert Gordon Aberdeen 0-3Giles Cup semi-finals
NUI Maynooth 2-18 Athlone IT 2-7
Mary Immaculate College 2-14 IT Carlow 1-12