Fitzgibbon Cup

The scoreline reflects the complete control that UCC exerted and the home side were full value for the staggering 29 point winning margin.

The result places UCC in an extremely good position in this group ahead of their trip to Galway to face GMIT next week in their final round-robin clash and at this juncture they look in pole position to claim the coveted home advantage for the quarter-finals. On a night where they largely played flawless hurling, the only downside to their victory was the thumb injury incurred by midfielder Daniel Kearney which forced him off in the 11th minute while wing-forward Seamus Harnedy was another to go off with an injury before half-time.

UCC, Fitzgibbon Cup semi-finalists last year and league champions before Christmas, do look to have greatly enhanced their attacking options this season on the evidence of last night’s game. Pauric Mahony, who made a brilliant impact for the Waterford seniors last summer, was hugely influential at wing-forward as the Ballygunner man fired 3-3 during UCC’s scoring spree. Willie Griffin, a member of last year’s Limerick U21 Munster winning squad, was another to sparkle here as he weighed in with 2-5. Shane Bourke and Stephen Moylan, survivors of the UCC Fitzgibbon Cup winning side in 2009, showed their experience in posting scores and DCU’s overwhelmed rearguard had no answer to the incessant pressure they were placed under.

DCU were totally out of their depth and only goalkeeper Bill McCormack, a former Tipperary minor and U21, Willie Eviston and JJ Lennon in defence, midfielder Emmett Kent (who was razor-sharp from placed balls) and centre-forward Wesley O’Brien, a native of Carrigaline in Cork can look back on this one with any degree of satisfaction.

However ultimately this was a severely lopsided encounter. DCU emerged fired up for the encounter in the early stages and only trailed 0-3 to 0-2 by the close of the opening quarter. However then UCC cut loose with Bourke, Griffin and Mahony all on target as UCC pulled 0-8 to 0-2 clear. In the 25th minute they raised their first green flag when Mahony rammed a 20-yard free to the net and by the interval they were ahead by 1-12 to 0-5.

In the second-half UCC maintained their levels of dominance with John O’Callaghan, Darragh Fives and William Egan all on top. The flurry of goals was kick-started in the 38th minute when Moylan fired home after great approach work by Griffin. Four minutes later Griffin found the net before Mahony and Griffin again blasted shots past McCormack. Brosnan, who made a fine contribution when introduced from the bench as did Brian Hartnett, got in on the goal-scoring act in the 50th minute and Mahony rounded off the night when he completed his hat-trick on 56 minutes.

Scorers for UCC: P Mahony 3-3 (1-0f), W Griffin 2-5 (0-3f), D Brosnan 1-2, S Moylan 1-1, S Bourke 0-4, B Hartnett 0-2, M Grace 0-1.

Scorers for DCU: E Kent 0-6 (0-5f, 0-1 65), W O’Brien 0-2, S McGrath, J Cullen 0-1 each.

UCC: D McCarthy (Cork); S Maher (Tipperary), J O’Callaghan (Cork), K Murphy(Cork); J Barry (Tipperary), D Fives (Waterford), W Egan(Cork); D Kearney (Cork), B Murray (Cork); S Harnedy (Cork), M Grace (Kilkenny), P Mahony (Waterford); S Bourke (Tipperary), S Moylan (Cork), W Griffin (Limerick).

Subs: S Corry (Cork) for Kearney (11, inj), D Brosnan (Cork) for Harnedy (27, inj), B Hartnett (Cork) for Grace (45), P O’Mahony (Cork) for O’Callaghan (51), J Nagle (Cork) for O’Callaghan (51).

DCU: B McCormack (Tipperary); S Kelly (Carlow), W Eviston (Tipperary), J Whelan (Wexford); J Ging (Laois), JJ Lennon (Kilkenny), A Cash (Wexford); E Kent (Wexford), Q Lynch (Galway); O Ó Maoileidigh (Dublin), W O’Brien (Cork), S McGrath (Dublin); D Reidy (Clare), C Foley (Dublin), J Cullen (Wexford).

Subs: S Griffith (Wexford) for Lynch (inj) (21), J Murphy (Wexford) for Kelly (48), G Muldoon (Galway) for Reidy (53).

Referee: P Casey

CiaranMT wrote: »

Game between UL and LIT finished 16 to 1-13. Canning got about 1-4 or 5.. Game improved in the second half no end, twas only about 6-5 at half time.

Other than Cathal O' Connell or Canning for LIT, I couldn't tell ye the names of who played well. LIT's full-back was cleaning up, while for UL, their wing-back (wearing No. 38??) did likewise.

Overall, a pretty scrappy game.

No.38 was Padraic Maher. Heard Conor McGrath was quite good too.

CiaranMT wrote: »

The Tipp hurler?

Yeah

This weeks games...

8th Feb
NUIG v DIT
GMIT v UCC
UCD v CIT

9th Feb
St Pats/Mater Dei v UL

Thoughts??

fearbainne wrote: »

This weeks games...

8th Feb
NUIG v DIT
GMIT v UCC
UCD v CIT

9th Feb
St Pats/Mater Dei v UL

Thoughts??

deisedude wrote: »

NUIG
UCC
CIT
UL

They'd be my pick. Have you the times and locations for the games? Trying to find it online is like looking for a needle in a haystack

Link below has times the games start but no venues.
http://www.sportsnewsireland.com/gaa/sigerson-fitzgibbon-cup-live-score-updates/

http://he.gaa.ie/Latest-News

Go to that link they post an attachment every week with the matches, times, venues and refs... Also any change to venue/time will be posted there...

Im guna disagree with some of your predictions.. I reckon

DIT
UCC
UCD

As for the fourth, im stickin my neck out for a complete shock victory for Pats/MDI! at 10/1 its worth a small bet!

Fitzgibbon Cup Semi Finals today in the Mardyke

1:30 CIT v LIT

3:30 UCC v UL

Final Tomorrow 3:00 Live TnaG

Any opinions on who'll be in the final tomorrow?

Blue Magic wrote: »

I've got an incline to go for an LIT-UCC final. Being a corkman, I'd love an all Cork Colleges final and I'd especially like to see a young CIT side be victorious with all the young Cork talent in particular in their side! But I just that LIT have a very strong balance and Canning factor will swing it for them.

UCC are an excellent outfit. Is young Lehane from Midleton (a fresher) eligible to play? Reckon they'd take some stopping from regaining the Fitzgibbon this weekend.

What are the parking arrangements for today's double header in the Mardyke?

Thought Canning has shoulder injury so isnt playing.
Why wouldnt Lehane be able to play? What would make him ineligible to play?

Blue Magic wrote: »

Good to see Canning injured. CIT have a fine chance now

I thought Freshers couldn't play Fitz. Almost certain that rule was there when I was in college. Hope I'm wrong though. That little wizard would light up this weekend if he's playing!

Lehane can't play for UCC, Hannon can't play for UL (both freshers).

Canning is injured, and I think it will probably be and a CIT V UCC final, based on CIT being a good team and the score between UL and UCC in the league final, though I think that game will be closer than it was and the closer of the two.