UCC need late goal to finish the job

SIGERSON CUP UCC 1-10 GMIT 0-9:A GOAL in the 57th minute from Kevin O'Driscoll ensured UCC had enough to spare at the Mardyke yesterday.

Leading 0-10 to 0-9, and facing a barrage of GMIT pressure as the visitors sought to force extra time, O’Driscoll finished off a move involving Stephen O’Brien, who had made a good interception, and Dáithí Casey, to finish from close range and settle the tie.

Before then, UCC should have been out of sight anyway as, while GMIT went 26 minutes without scoring, the hosts racked up a lot of wides.

GMIT forced the early tempoinspired by full forward Steven Griffin and opened up a 0-5 to 0-2 lead by the 13th minute. But they would not score again until well into the second half.

Driven on by Mark Collins UCC began to find their rhythm and late points in the first half, from Barry O’Driscoll and Casey, had them 0-6 to 0-5 ahead at the break.

By the 47th minute the lead was 0-10 to 0-6 and should have been more.

Three frees in a row from Griffin reduced the gap before O’Driscoll’s intervention.

UCC: K O'Halloran; P Crowley, E O'Mahony, J O'Sullivan; S Kiely (0-1), A Greaney, B Daly; J Fitzpatrick (0-2), W Kennedy (0-1); K O'Driscoll (1-0), M Collins (0-1), JB Spillane; B O'Driscoll (0-1, free), D Casey (0-3, 0-2 frees), S O'Brien (0-1). Sub: M Griffen for Spillane (60 mins).

GMIT: B Walsh; K Boyle, A Tierney, D Crawford; D Lee, G Kelly, J Duane; P Conroy, P McGonagle; D Clabby, C Hands, S Kavanagh; M Coady (0-1), A Thompson, S Griffin (0-7, 0-4 frees). Subs: E Monahan (0-1) for Hands (28 mins), N Prenty for Clabby (38 mins), E Ward for McGonagle (46 mins).

Referee: M Condon(Waterford).