DCU Dóchas Éireann 1-10
TU Dublin 1-9
(after extra-time)
REIGNING CHAMPIONS DCU Dóchas Éireann needed extra-time to overcome TU Dublin and maintain the challenge to defend their O’Connor Cup title, digging deep to get over the line in a pulsating additional 20 minutes.
The holders were pushed all the way but managed to prevail and will meet UCC in the decider on Saturday afternoon at MTU Cork.
DCU shot out of the blocks the better with Offaly dual star Kate Kenny the main catalyst. She landed three points before Chloe Darby pushed them into a healthy lead. It could have been furthered as Roisin O’Reilly needed to be alert to deny Emma Duggan a goal chance late in the first half.
TU Dublin had few chances and missed those limited number of chances in that first half, but with 27 minutes gone, Ellie Young curled over a free to cut the gap to four at the break, 0-5 to 0-1.
Maria Cannon made it a five-point lead early in the second half, but TU Dublin started to come back in that third quarter. Ciara Smyth sent an effort over the bar while Niamh Keenaghan looked for goal but found the hands of Robyn Murray.
DCU also looked to conjure up chances at goal at the other end, denied however at every step by O’Reilly. The Cavan goalkeeper produced two excellent saves to deny Tara Needham on separate occasions at the end of the third quarter.
Goal drama in the O'Connor Cup..
— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) March 8, 2024
See the Dublin derby spring to life with goals for both @DCUDocEirGAA and @TUDublinCCGAA late in their semi-final.
DCU eventually won AET and will play UCC in the Final.
Videos by @JeromeQuinn for @LadiesHEC pic.twitter.com/mHHkbtGY9B
Orla Martin cut the gap to three before Duggan found the mark for DCU. TU Dublin hit back as Young struck a brace of frees before palming to the net from close range to put TU Dublin into a narrow one point lead on the hour-mark.
Christina Charters was sent to the bin following that goal and down to 14 going into stoppage time DCU needed to dig deep. They did that when Darby shot from range and the ball dropped into the back of the TU Dublin net to push them 1-7 to 1-5 in front.
But in the blink of an eye their lead was wiped out by a battling TU Dublin side with Smyth and former Dublin star Niamh McEvoy getting points to force extra-time.
Both sides exchanged scores at the outset of extra-time but DCU edged 1-10 to 1-8 in front at the end of the first period thanks to Fionnula McLaughlin and another Kenny free.
TU Dublin got the gap back to the minimum when McEvoy pointed a free in the second additional period, but DCU Dóchas Éireann held on for victory.
Scorers for DCU DÉ: K Kenny 0-5 (0-4f), C Darby 1-2, M Cannon, F McLaughlin, E Duggan 0-1 each.
Scorers for TU Dublin: E Young 1-3 (3fs), C Smyth 0-3, N McEvoy 0-2 (1f), O Martin 0-1.
DCU DÉ: R Murray; A Farrell, R Ennis, N Donlon; N Crowley, R Sargent, C Charters; C Banville, C Darby; M Cannon, L Fox, C Lohan; E Duggan, K Kenny, S Reynolds. Subs: T Needham or Fox, E Morrissey for Banville (Both H/t), C Dunne for Farrell (39), F McLaughlin for Ennis (48), K Owens for Lohan (56).
TU Dublin: R O’Reilly; N Harkin, A Nyhan, S Codd; O Martin, H Byrne, E Gribben; D Egan, C Cregg; C Smyth, C O’Connor, N Divilly; A McGuignan, E Young, N Keenaghan. Subs: L Quane for Cregg (34), M Dignam for Gribben (39), J Buckley for Egan (56).
Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).
***
University College Cork 1-10
Ulster University 1-7
While UCC missed a host of chances on a blustery day in MTU Cork, they dug deep in the final quarter to take the spoils in a heart-stopping conclusion to this exciting semi-final.
It was very much end-to-end early on. The sides were deadlocked after three minutes with Ellie Jack giving UCC the lead before Emma Conroy levelled for UU. Conroy nudged the Ulster side ahead with her second free but a terrific block by Uainín Ní Chonghaile denied UCC a goal chance at the other end.
In the aftermath the Cork side had a penalty. Kellyann Hogan stepped up, the strike however curled to the right and wide of the goal. UCC levelled through Jack, however minutes late a brace of Lauren Garland points had UU ahead 0-4 to 0-2 by the end of the opening quarter.
UCC refused to let their heads drop and Hogan cut the gap to one before Jack finished off a flowing move with a stunning strike to the left top corner of the net for the lead. The advantage was pushed to three when Aine O’Neill fired over.
However, UU responded well and Garland slotted home a penalty to the bottom right corner after she herself had been fouled and that left them ahead by 1-5 to 1-4 at the interval.
Garland pushed Ulster University two ahead seven minutes into the second period, but there was a momentum swing when Paige Smyth went to the sin bin at the end of the third quarter and points by Abigail Ring (free) and Jack levelled the tie in the final quarter.
In the dying minutes Garland and Ring swapped scores as stoppage time loomed, but UCC finished the stronger and Jack, Brosnan and Healy kept their composure at the end to land the points which send them into tomorrow’s final as they bid to secure the O’Connor Cup for the first time since 2012.
Scorers for UCC: E Jack 1-4 (0-1f), A Ring 0-2f, A O’Neill, K Hogan 1f, A Healy, K Brosnan 0-1 each.
Scorers for UU: L Garland 1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), E Conroy 0-2f, A Sherlock 0-1.
UCC: C Forde; N Martin, D Kiniry, R Sheehan; A McDonagh, A Healy, R Corkery; M O’Connell, K Hogan; A O’Neill, E Twomey, B McMaugh; E Jack, L Hallinan, A Fennessy. Subs: A Ring for Twomey (38), S McGoldrick for McDonagh (56), K Brosnan for Fennessy (60).
UU: D Farley; E Sands, P Smyth, U Ní Chonghaile; N McClorey, C Brown, M Ferguson; M Glynn, O Blaney; L Garland, C O’Hagan, A Sherlock; N King, E Conroy, A Garland. Subs: M O’Neill for M King (38), C Doyle for E Conroy (41), A Gough for A Sherlock(48), A Taggart for C O’Hagan (56), H McQuaid for O Blakey (60).
Referee: Sinead McHugh (Donegal).
- Reports by Diarmuid Kearney
