Sigerson Cup Round 1

DCU 3-13
Ulster University 0-8

A SIGNIFICANT statement of intention by the Sigerson Cup title holders? You better believe it.

DCU weren’t entirely flawless at the Burren GAA grounds in Down, and took a whole half to really find their mojo, but when they got going, they were unstoppable.

Inspired in attack by Dublin’s Lorcan O’Dell, and with Jack Tumulty, Conor Dolan and Luke Marren all registering goals, the Glasnevin outfit raced clear in the second half for a big Round 1 win.

Yet with 32 minutes on the clock, you wouldn’t have been so sure that DCU would advance to a Round 2A clash with the winners of the MTU Cork/UL tie next week.

In fact, 2024 champions Ulster University were in a great position to gain revenge for last season’s extra-time semi-final defeat to DCU.

Charlie Diamond had just landed a two-point free to cut the deficit to one, 0-6 to 0-5, and Ulster University would have the significant wind behind them for the rest of the half.

They were powerless to prevent DCU from surging clear from there, though, the six-times champions reeling off 2-3 without response and 3-7 in total in the second half.

Tumulty finished with 1-4, his four points coming in the first half and helping DCU to lead by 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.

O’Dell fired over three points in all and was their creative spark, while sub Marren finished with an impressive 1-2 and made his case for inclusion from the start next week.

Meanwhile, TU Dublin, beaten on penalties in last season’s semi-final, scored a 2-17 to 1-11 Round 1 win over DKIT.

Conor Clarke’s goal for DKIT, along with points from rising Meath star Jamie Murphy and Monaghan’s Stephen Mooney, left the Dundalk side 1-6 to 0-7 up at half-time.

But a thrilling finish from hosts TU Dublin, who reeled off two goals in the closing 20 minutes, secured a Round 2A tie with MTU Kerry next week.

MTU Kerry advanced to Round 2A also, overcoming TUS Midlands by 2-18 to 2-12. Keith Evans, who featured for an experimental Kerry before Christmas, clipped 1-5 for MTU Kerry, who led by 1-10 to 1-4 at half-time.

Evans’ goal arrived at the three-quarter stage and helped open up a 13-point lead, though a TUS Midlands side led by Tubberclair’s Leinster club IFC finalist Matthew Whittaker, who also sniped 1-5, battled back late on.

DCU scorers: Jack Tumulty 1-4, Luke Marren 1-2, Conor Dolan 1-0, Lorcan O’Dell 0-3, Senan Baker 0-2 (1f), Niall Dolan, Ethan Dunne 0-1 each.

UU scorers: Lorcan McGarrity 0-4 (1 tp, 2f), Charlie Diamond 0-3 (1 tp), Conor Cush 0-1 (1f).

DCU

Michael Tansley (Kerry)

Josh Bannon (Dublin)
Liam Kelly (Meath)
Bryan Masterson (Longford)

Eoin Ward (Roscommon)
Greg McEneaney (Dublin)
Eoghan O’Connor Flanagan (Dublin)

Darragh Joyce (Mayo)
Ethan Dunne (Dublin)

Conor Heffernan (Laois)
Lorcan O’Dell (Dublin)
Darragh Swords (Kildare)

Conor Dolan (Kildare)
Senan Baker (Westmeath)
Jack Tumulty (Roscommon)

SUBS

Evan Crowe (Cavan) for Kelly (36)
Niall Dolan (Kildare) for Swords (45)
Luke Marren (Sligo) for C Dolan (46)
Conor Quigley (Meath) for Bannon (51)
Dara Crowley (Kildare) for O’Dell (58).

UU

Ronan Burns (Down)

Harry Magill (Down)
Ben Cullen (Tyrone)
Ronan Boyle (Monaghan)

Charlie Diamond (Derry)
Jody McDermott (Derry)
Emmett Magee (Armagh)

Gary Mohan (Monaghan)
Ryan Magill (Down)

Conor Cush (Tyrone)
James Quinn (Tyrone)
James Donaghy (Tyrone)

Jamie Doran (Down)
Lorcan McGarrity (Tyrone)
Danny McDermott (Derry)

SUBS

Senan Carr (Down) for Magee (15)
Mattie Finn (Monaghan) for Mohan (40)
Daniel McNicholl (Antrim) for McGarrity (46)

Ref: Enda Mallon (Armagh)