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Ben Cunningham of UCC. James Lawlor/INPHO

Top-scoring tally from Ben Cunningham keeps UCC in the winning habit

Two Liam Collins goals kept it interesting right to the end.

UCC 1-24

University Galway 2-19

TWO LATE LIAM Collins goals made for a nervy finish but UCC had enough in hand to continue their winning start to the Fitzgibbon Cup, in this Round 2, Group B game.

On a night when both sides clocked 17 wides, Ben Cunningham was most accurate with 0-9 (seven from play) while Tipperary midfielder Darragh Stakelum added 1-3.

Three days on from their All-Ireland final defeat, the Sarsfields contingent returned to action off the bench and it was Daniel Hogan who struck the clinching point.

The two-point victory sets up a final round game away to MTU Cork next week. How high the stakes will be, depends on the outcome of MTU’s trip to Belfield.

University of Galway, meanwhile, need a UCD win to retain any qualification hopes.

They had 2-10 from Cappataggle’s Collins brothers, with Niall raising all the white flags while Liam got the goals.

The sides traded points evenly for the opening 11 minutes at the Mardyke with Cunningham twice on the board before Brian Keating gave the hosts their first lead.

From there, UCC moved six points clear while Galway, who were kept ticking over by Niall Collins’ frees, had racked up 12 wides within 24 minutes.

A Darragh Flynn hot streak saw the Ballygiblin attacker arrow over three points in quick succession while Daniel Comar and Colm Molloy landed two apiece in response.

Cunningham landed two of the final three points, highlighted by one from a near-impossible angle by the sideline, against a lone Mark Gill effort.

Galway reached half-time trailing by 0-15 to 0-10 and survived a scare when Cormac Kenny produced an outstanding save from Fionn Coleman.

A pinpoint Ian McGlynn sideline almost created a goal for onrushing centre-back Tiernan Killeen but the Loughrea man lashed his shot just wide and a Cunningham point made it 0-20 to 0-13.

Niall Collins nailed two frees but it looked like game over in the 50th minute when Flynn’s low ball fed Coleman and he sent the overlapping Stakelum into space to find the net.

darragh-stakelum-reacts-to-missing-a-chance-at-goal Darragh Stakelum. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO

There was still eight points in it with two minutes of normal time remaining when substitute Charlie Mitchell released Liam Collins to blast home.

Niall Collins, who finished with 0-10, was instructed to pop his next two frees over and suddenly it was a one-score game.

Cunningham and Hogan settled UCC but Galway came again in the 63rd minute. Killeen’s delivery ran through for Liam Collins to whip to the net.

There was no last chance, however, as Thomas Walsh called time from the puck-out.

In other games, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick were narrow winners over SETU Waterford, that finishing 1-16 to 0-17. 

University Limerick had a more comfortable time of it against ATU Galway, winning 3-27 to 3-16. 

Elsewhere in the Sigerson Cup, there was a round 3 win for Maynooth University over St Mary’s Belfast. After leading 1-7 o 0-3 at the break, the Belfast students rallied to bring the margin back to one point in extra time, but Maynooth pulled away to finish 2-9 to 1-7 in front at the final whistle.  

Scorers for UCC: Ben Cunningham 0-9 (2f), Darragh Stakelum 1-3, Brian Keating 0-3, Darragh Flynn 0-3, William Buckley 0-2, Fionn Coleman 0-1, James Dwyer 0-1, Peter McGarry 0-1, Daniel Hogan 0-1.

Scorers for University of Galway: Niall Collins 0-10 (9f), Liam Collins 2-0, Dan Bourke 0-2, Daniel Comar 0-2, Colm Molloy 0-2, Ian McGlynn 0-1, Mark Gill 0-1, Tiernan Killeen 0-1.

UCC

(Cork unless stated)

1. Paudie O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neills)

23. Seán Daly (Randal Óg), 6. Ciarán Doolan (St Finbarr’s), 4. Timmy Wilk (Cobh)

17. Michael Mullaney (Stradbally, Waterford), 9. Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), 7. James Dwyer (Ballincollig)

8. Brian Keating (Ballincollig), 15. D Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary)

19. Darragh Flynn (Ballygiblin), 12. Eddie Stokes (Doon, Limerick), 10. Ben Cunningham (St Finbarr’s)

13. William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), 14. Fionn Coleman (Blackrock), 26. Peter McGarry (St Mary’s Clonmel, Tipperary).

Subs

21. Eoin O’Leary (Glen Rovers) for McGarry (50)

11. Daniel Hogan (Sarsfields) for Stokes (53)

2. Cathal McCarthy (Sarsfields) for Stakelum (55)

30. David Cremin (Midleton) for Flynn (57)

31. Cathal McCarthy (Blarney) for Buckley (57)

UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY

(Galway unless stated)

1. Cormac Kenny (Cappataggle)

2. Kieran Hanrahan (Loughrea), 3. Daniel Loftus (Turloughmore), 4. Mark Hardiman (Athenry)

18. Joshua Ryan (Clarinbridge), 6. Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea), 17. Mark Gill (Castlegar)

8. Ian McGlynn (Kilconieron), 9. Liam Leen (Clarinbridge)

23. Daniel Comar (Kilnadeema-Leitrim), 11. Dan Bourke (Ballinamere, Offaly), 10. Niall Collins (Cappataggle)

13. Liam Collins (Cappataggle), 12. Greg Thomas (Castlegar), 15. Colm Molloy (Kilnadeema-Leitrim)

Subs

14. Charlie Mitchell (Kilcormac-Killoughey, Offaly) for Comar (34, inj)

7. Colm Cunningham (Moycullen) for Ryan (36)

22. Ruben Davitt (Oranmore-Maree) for Leen (44)

33. Phelim McCann (Clarinbridge) for Gill (50)

21. Senan Dunford (Tubber, Clare) for Molloy (56)

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)

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