UCD 2-12
UL 1-14
UCD ARE BACK in the Sigerson Cup final after surviving a late comeback from their Limerick rivals to come through by the narrowest of margins at the SETU Carlow campus.
Paul Keaney cancelled out an early point from UCD’s Diarmuid Moriarty, who punched over. UL scored the opening goal on nine minutes when the UCD defence failed to take control of a dropping ball. Keaney rifled home from close range.
The Limerick side threatened to take control — and with defender Darragh Cashman driving forward to raise a white flag, they went five points clear.
UCD responded and were 0-8 to 1-4 ahead at the break with Daire Cregg, Moriarty, Aaron Lynch and Davy Garland all pointing
The Dubliners struck for a goal immediately after the interval when Jonathan Lynam was at the end of a passing movement. Moriarty followed up with a point.
Ciaran Downes led the UL revival scoring two points. Frank Irwin was also on target. A Paul Walsh free left the minimum between the two sides.
UCD had threatened a number of times. With 10 minutes left, they attacked down the left. This time Daire Cregg delivered the pass and Garland punched home.
UL threw everything they had into rescuing the game. Goalkeeper Conor Flaherty landed a point, while Downes, Brian McNamara and Irwin (free) also raised white flags. Cregg landed a vital score for the Dubliners.
With time almost up, UL had appeals for a foot-block foul and a penalty turned down by referee Brendan Cawley.
In the end, two attempts for equalisers drifted just wide on either side of the posts and UL’s dream of a first-ever Sigerson Cup died.
Scorers for UCD: Davy Garland 1-3 (2f), Diarmuid Moriarty 0-4, Daire Cregg 0-3 (1f), Jonathan Lynam 1-0, Aaron Lynch 0-2 (1m).
Scorers for UL: Paul Keaney 1-1 (1f), Ciaran Downes 0-4 (1f), Frank Irwin 0-3 (2f), Paul Walsh 0-2 (2f), Brian McNamara, Conor Flaherty, Darragh Cashman, Jack McCabe 0-1 each
UCD: Killian Roche; Liam Smith, Rory Brickenden, Daragh McElearney; Ryan O’Toole, Sam Callinan, Sean Coffey; Peter Duffy, Jonathan Lynam; Donncha Gilmore, Daire Cregg, Diarmuid Moriarty; Aaron Lynch, Ben O’Carroll, Davy Garland.
Subs: Callum Bolton for Moriarty (34), Liam Costello for Lynch (50).
University of Limerick: Conor Flaherty; Colm Moriarty, Mark Dempsey, Caelim Keogh; Darragh Cashman, Cian Glennon, Daniel Walsh; Cathal Ryan, Brian McNamara; Frank Irwin, Paul Keaney, Sean McDonnell; Paul Walsh, Ciaran Downes, Jack McCabe.
Subs: Fenton Kelly for Glennon (HT), Jack Fallon for McDonnell (HT), Darragh Heneghan for Keaney (33), Gearoid Hassett for McCabe (40), Cian McHale for Walsh (50).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).