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UCD 2-9 Dublin 1-10
They’ll hardly lose too much sleep over it but defeat in the Bord na Mona O’Byrne Cup, Dublin’s first competitive defeat in almost a year, was a footnote in history all the same.
The knife was plunged in by a number of Dubs too with Jack McCaffrey lining out for the Students against his own county.
McCaffrey took a high-profile year out last year and but for being tied by college commitments would have been lining out for the Dubs here.
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The 2015 Footballer of the Year impressed against Wexford in round one and scored an important late point here before clearing a goal-bound effort off the line, when a goal would have tied it for resurgent Dublin, during an exciting finale.
The Students and Sigerson Cup holders had a game breaker in substitute Seán Meade who came on at half-time and rattled in a 63rd-minute goal that killed off the game.
Dublin did have an opportunity at the death to rescue a draw with just three points between the teams but McCaffrey made that block on the line from a Paul Hudson free.
UCD were sharp initially and ran into a 1-6 to 0-0 lead with Eoin Lowry of Offaly punishing slack Dublin defending with three early points, two from frees.
Dublin were caught out badly for UCD’s 28th-minute goal from Tom Hayes. Dublin goalkeeper Evan Comerford appeared to think a point attempt was going wide when it bounced off the post and into Hayes’s arms for a fortunate goal.
Hudson finally broke the deadlock though and drew ironic cheers from the 3,000 strong crowd with his score from an acute angle on the left.
It proved to be an inspirational score because Dublin netted just four minutes later to haul themselves back into the game.
Maitias MacDonncha of Clontarf, the 29th player to be used so far this year by the Dubs, scored a cracker with his left foot.
Shane Cunningham found his range with back to back points after the restart and converted one free that was well won by newcomer Ross Hazley.
Niall Scully boomed over a beauty from long range before Dublin cut the deficit to a single point with a Ciaran Reddin free.
With two minutes to go it was all to play for at 1-7 to 1-6 in UCD’s favour and a point remained between the sides with 10 minutes to go. But that well taken Meade goal proved to be the nail in Dublin’s coffin.
UCD: C Honan; E Murchan, D Maguire, P Healy; N McInerney, J Feehan, J McCaffrey (0-1); G Farrell, A McDonnell; S Mullooly (0-1), L Moran (0-1), E Wallace; T Hayes (1-0), C McCarthy (0-1), E Lowry (0-5, four frees).
Subs: B Maginn for Mullooly, S Meade (1-0) for McCarthy, C Cunningham for Feehan (all half-time), T Maher for Honan, J Gillen for Farrell, C Nolan for Hayes, R Cleary for Murchan (all 53 mins), P Fagan for McDonnell (63 mins), A Hassett for Healy (67 mins).
DUBLIN: E Comerford; J Smith, E O'Brien, R McGowan; N Scully (0-1), C Reddin (0-1, one free), R Gaughan; J Whelan, R Deegan; G Sweeney, M MacDonncha (1-0), N Walsh; P Hudson (0-3, one free), M Deegan, S Cunningham (0-2, one free).
Subs: Ross Hazley (0-2) for Whelan (35 mins, BC), G Ivory (0-1) for Hudson (half-time), Ross O'Brien for Walsh (45 mins), Walsh for Sweeney, T Shiels for M Deegan (both 48 mins), Sweeney for MacDonncha, S Newcombe for R Deegan (both 59 mins), Hudson for Cunningham (63 mins).
Referee: C Dwyer (Offaly).
Meath 2-15 DIT 0-10
Fielding a completely different 15 than the one that saw off the challenge of Wicklow by 19 points on Sunday, Meath comfortably overcame the challenge of the students in the at Ashbourne.
There were debuts for Christy Ring Cup winning captain James Toher and Stuart Lownes, who lined out for Dublin against Meath in the same competition in 2015.
Although named a sub goalkeeper Joe Sheridan didn’t see action for the Royals.
Meath played against the stiff breeze in the opening half but led by the minimum at the break, 0-7 to 0-6.
Third-quarter goals from Donal Lenihan, who finished top scorer with 1-5, and Bobby O’Brien wrapped up the game for the hosts.
Ciarán Thompson accounted for half of the students tally but the losers attack was unable to make much headway against a resolute Meath rearguard.
The win sets up a winner take all against Laois in Stradbally on Saturday evening.
MEATH: R Burlingham; A Douglas, D McQuillan, D Toner; D Smyth (0-1),W Carry, A Forde (0-1); B Power, J Toher; S Lowndes, B O'Brien (1-1), R O Coileain (0-2); D Queeney, S Tobin (0-4 , two frees), D Lenihan (1-5, one free).
Subs: D Larkin for O Coileain (21 mins), A Flanagan for Toher (55 mins), B Brennan (0-1) for Queeney (59 mins), P Brady for Smyth (60 mins), P Harnan for Carry (62 mins), K Lynch for Douglas (64 mins), Queeney for Power (68 mins).
DIT: L Molloy; K Gillespie, C McGill, T McGovern; E Flanagan, A Waters, L Hughes; T Corcoran, C O'Shea; R Scott, C Madden (0-2, one free), D Sheehy; C Thompson (0-5, three frees), M Farragher (0-1), J Halligan.
Subs: G O'Reilly for Halligan (30 mins), D McLoughlin (0-1) for Farragher (half-time), C Kavanagh (0-1) for Scott (half-time), T Clarke for Corcoran (52 mins), D Grehan for Thompson (59 mins), M Stewart Byrne for McGill (62 mins).
Referee: G Hurley (Westmeath)
Wexford 2-6 DCU 0-10
Two goals from Ben Brosnan in the first half proved decisive as Wexford held out for a deserved two-point victory over DCU at St Patrick’s Park in Enniscorthy.
Very little separated the sides through the opening quarter but a fine Brosnan goal after 17 minutes following a sweeping movement out of midfield edged the home side into a 1-2 to 0-2 lead, a lead they were never subsequently to lose.
Eanna O’Connor points kept the visitors in touch but a second Brosnan goal after 23 minutes helped his side to a 2-4 to 0-4 interval lead.
DCU opened the second half impressively with two quickfire points from Ryan Burns and Shekroz Akoram to reduce the deficit to 2-4 to 0-6.
Once Brosnan steadied the home side with two pointed frees they regained the initiative to hold out for a two-point victory ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Dublin.
SCORES – Wexford: B Brosnan 2-4 (four frees); J Stafford, P Curtis 0-1 each. DCU: E O'Connor 0-4 (one free); R Burns 0-2 (one free); M Plunkett, J Mealif, S O'Brien (free), S Akoram 0-1 each.
WEXFORD: P Murphy; R Tierney, J Rossiter, J Wadding; K Butler, J Lacey, T Rossiter; P Byrne, S Byrne; J Firman, B Brosnan, J Stafford; R Nolan, T Byrne, P Curtis.
Subs: R Villego for Lacey; S Gaul for Rossiter; R Barronb for T Rossiter; G Carty for T Byrne; I Carty for Brosnan; D Barden for Tierney; P J Banville for Nolan; C Kehoe for S Byrne; K O'Grady for Curtis.
DCU: S Mannion; E Smith, C Doran, D Neary; J Mealiff, K Feely, B Crawley; S O'Brien, C McGonagle; C Mulligan, S Carty, T Lahiff; E O'Connor, H McFadden, J Durcan.
Subs: S Akoran for Neary; D Mannix for O'Brien; R Burns for Lahiffe; T Galligan for O'Connor; E Smnythe for Mulligan; M Plunkett for Durcan.
Referee: D Hickey (Carlow).
Longford 2-11 Offaly 0-9
Second-half goals from Liam Connerton and Darren Gallagher helped Longford record an eight-point win over Offaly in Newtowncashel.
Trailing by just one at the break Longford levelled matters in the 37th minute through Seán McCormack and one minute later Connerton put them ahead with a well taken goal after receiving a pass from Dessie Reynolds.
Longford were seven ahead in the 53rd minute after three fine points from Pádraig McCormack, James McGivney and Gallagher.
Gallagher got Longford‘s second goal in the 60th minute with the simplest of tap-ins.
Offaly got consolation scores through Seán Doyle (two frees) and William Mulhall, while Longford defender Paul McGee was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card.
Offaly had started brightly and had built up a three-point lead inside the opening 10 minutes with points from Mulhall (two) and Seán Doyle (free).
Sean McCormack registered Longford‘s first point in the 11th minute; a pointed free. Offaly replied with two points to lead by four in the 24th minute. Longford cut the lead to just one going in at the break with points from Paddy Collum (‘45), Shane Kenny and Dermot Brady. They were able to kick on in the second half.
LONGFORD: P Collum (0-1, 45); P McGee, A Farrell, B Gilleran; C Farrelly, P McCormack (0-1), B O'Farrell; S Kenny (0-1), D Gallagher (1-2); D Reynolds, L Connerton (1-0), J McGivney (0-1); R Smyth, S McCormack (0-4, two frees), M Hughes.
Subs: D Brady (0-1), J Keegan for Gallagher, D Masterson, B McKeon, P Kiernan, B Farrell, G Rogers, P Farrell, R McEntire, D McElligott.
OFFALY: C Clancy; J Egan, C Horan, D Brady; L Colgan (0-1), J O'Connor, D Carroll; P Cunningham, D Dempsey; K Dunne, S Nally, C Donoghue (0-1); R McNamee, W Mulhall (0-4, two frees), S Doyle (0-3, all frees).
Subs: J Hynes, M Brazil, N Dunne, PJ Daly.
Referee: S Mulhare (Laois).
Carlow 1-15 Westmeath 2-15
A goal in each half from Westmeath right half back James Dolan proved crucial as the Lake County overcame a spirited Carlow side reduced to 14 men just before half-time when their influential midfielder Brendan Murphy received a second yellow card following an ugly midfield melee at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Dolan, the Garrycastle clubman, struck early and late, his first goal arriving in the fifth minute and his second in the dying minutes when he availed of a Carlow defensive slip which opened up the way to goal.
The accuracy of Paul Broderick kept Carlow in this game, along with a fine contribution of 0-5 from Darragh Foley.
After Westmeath went in 1-8 to 0-9 ahead at half-time, the Tinryland man finished off a fine move to the net in the 39th minute to cut the arrears to a point (1-9 to 1-8).
Carlow took the lead with a superb Alan Kelly point from play on 53 minutes but Westmeath, mainly through the accuracy of corner forwards Luke Loughlin and Ger Egan always found a scoring response.
SCORERS – Westmeath: J Dolan 2-0, L Loughlin 0-5 (four frees), G Egan 0-4 (three frees), T McDaniel 0-2, D McNicholas, C McCormack, J Egan, S Corcoran 0-1 each.
CARLOW: P Broderick 1-5 (four frees), D Foley 0-5 (two frees), E Ruth, A Kelly 0-2 each, D O'Brien 0-1.
WESTMEATH: D Quinn; J Rock (K Smullen 70 mins), K Maguire, J Gonoud; J Dolan (2-0) (N Mulligan 70 mins), K Martin (K Reilly 46 mins), J Marshment (S Corcoran 0-1, half-time); A Gaughan, D McNicholas (0-1) (P Holloway, 20 mins); D Lynch, D Glennon (C McCormack), J Egan (0-1); L Loughlin (0-5, four frees (A Stone, 69 mins), T McDaniel (0-2) (S Dempsey, 60 mins) G Egan (0-4, 0-3 frees).
CARLOW: C Kearney; C Crowley (J Clarke 65 mins), H Gahan, K Nolan; S Murphy (M Rennick half-time), J Murphy (D Moran half-time), G Kelly; B Murphy, E Ruth; A Kelly (D Lunney 65 mins), D Foley, S O'Neill (M Ware half-time); D O'Brien (S Clarke 60 mins), P Broderick, G Power (C McCabe 60 mins).
Referee: D Moore (Laois).
Laois 2-17 Wicklow 1-8
Laois kicked 2-10 in the second half to comfortably beat a gallant Wicklow side in Greystones. A scoring spree of 2-1 in the early stages of the second half helped overturn a one-point half-time deficit and even with the loss of Ambrose Doran to a straight red card Laois never let up.
Ruairi O’Connor was excellent in the first half against a mean Wicklow defence while Seán Ramsbottom kicked two wonderful points in the second half.
Wicklow led by 1-5 to seven points at half-time, Seanie Furlong with the goal, but they couldn’t sustain the effort for the second period and the early concession of goals gave them little chance of success.
LAOIS: E Keogh; C Lennon, K Lillis, G Dillon; D Strong, A Farrell, C Begley; K Meaney, D Kingston; J Farrell (0-1), A Doran (0-3), M Campion; R O'Connor (1-6, three frees), G Walsh (1-4, two 45s), P Kingston.
Subs: C Murphy for D Campion (10 mins); R Munnelly (0-1) for J Farrell (half-time); S Attride for G Dillon (half-time); S Ramsbottom (0-2) for D Kingston (46 mins); J Farrell for K Meaney (66 mins).
WICKLOW: M Jackson (0-1, free); C Hyland, R O'Brien, B Kennedy (0-1); D Hayden, J Snell, J Crowe; D Boothman (0-1), A McLoughlin (0-1); R Finn, S Kelly, M Kenny; P Byrne(0-1), S Furlong (1-3, three frees), J McGrath.
Subs: E Murtagh for S Kelly (47 mins); M Cullen for J Crowe (57 mins); C Ffrench for M Kenny (58 mins); M Fitzsimons for A McLaughlin (65 mins).
Referee: J King (Dublin).
Louth 1-13 Maynooth University 1-8
Louth pulled clear on the top of group four with a laboured win over Maynooth University in Darver.
The students put it up to their fancied hosts for three quarters of the contest, but a Dean Maguire goal eventually broke their resolve.
Playing with a stiff breeze in the opening half, Maynooth hit the front with a 19th minute Ryan O’Rourke goal and adjourned with a 1-6 to 0-6 cushion.
They stubbornly clung to their lead until midway through the second period, but Maguire edged Louth in front with a well-taken goal.
Colin Kelly emptied his bench and it was the subs who made the difference in the closing stages as the hosts pulled away.
LOUTH: J Flanagan; P Rath, P Reilly, J Bingham; R Moore, D McMahon (0-1), D Marks (0-1); C Martin, J Califf (0-1, free); D Byrne (0-1), P Smith, C Branigan (0-1); J Stewart, D Crilly (0-2, one free), R Carroll.
Subs: A Reid for McMahon, T Durnin (0-2) for Califf, J McEneaney (0-1) for Smith, K Murphy for Rath, R Holcroft (0-2) for D Crilly, A Williams (0-1) for Marks for C McKeever, B Duffy for Branigan, T McKenna for R Moore, Dean Maguire (1-0) for R Carroll.
MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY: E McDonagh; A Brennan, M Hyland, B Gonoud; T Hanifan, C Sheridan, E Moloney (0-1); B Dardis, C Gillespie (0-1); Caoimhin O'Reilly (0-2, both frees), P Fogarty (0-4, two frees), C Gallagher; R O'Rourke (1-0), C Murphy, S McGlynn.
Subs: D Mimnagh for Murphy, C Cannon for Dardis, W Bright for Fogarty, D McLoughlin for S McGlynn, P Cribben for Gillespie, R Scott for Gonoud.
Referee: D O'Connor (Dublin).
Kildare 4-24 IT Carlow 0-1
Kildare inflicted a heavy loss on IT Carlow that saw the college team only score once in the entire game.
With a Ben McCormack point after 30 seconds and a David Slattery goal after a minute, IT Carlow knew they were in for a long night in the Kildare cold at Hawkfield.
Failing to score for the first half, Carlow conceded 2-14 with Kildare’s Cathal McNally scoring their second goal in the 29th minute.
Carlow centre back Eoin Buggie opened the second half with their only point, which seemed to spell a renewed spirit as the wind aided his kick from distance.
However, a Neil Flynn goal in the 40th minute followed by a fourth Kildare goal from Tommy Moolick in the 57th minute gave them their second win in the and left Carlow with a long drive home.
KILDARE: S McNamara; P Kelly, M O'Grady, O Lyons; S Ryan, D Hyland (0-1), C O'Donoghue; T Moolick (1-3), F Dowling (0-2); F Conway (0-1), C Hartley (0-1), C McNally (1-2); N Flynn (1-3), D Slattery (1-1), B McCormack (0-5).
Subs: P Connell for Moolick; E Heavy for McCormack (both half-time); K Cribbin for McNally (40 mins); E Callaghan (0-3) for Flynn (40 mins); N Kelly (0-2) for Hartley (50 mins); Moolick for Dowling (55 mins).
IT CARLOW: D Campbell; T O'Connell, C Ward, J Casey; N Kane, E Buggie (0-1), T Collins; M Russell, W Young; R Ross, S Maughan, S Ryan; L Flynn, S Mulroy, D O'Sullivan.
Subs: J Logue for O'Connell (half-time); R Ryan for Collins (39 mins); S McGraynor for Russell (42 mins); R Cahill for Mulroy ; P O'Connor for Ryan (both 50 mins); G Hanrahan for Buggie (55 mins); J Walsh for Maughan (63 mins); G Smyth for O'Sullivan (64 mins).
Referee: D Sheppard (Dublin).
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