Fitzgibbon Cup wrap: Big wins for Cork IT, University of Limerick and UCD

CIT 0-17 DCU 1-6
A Tipperary axis of All Star John O'Dwyer and Conor Hammersley was influential as title hopefuls CIT got off to a strong start beating DCU.

The forward duo combined for 0-11 of the visiting team’s tally in freezing conditions at the DCU sports grounds.

It was a fine effort from the hosts and underdogs, who were tied with 14 minutes to go despite losing Peter Carroll to a red card in the third minute after the centre back was adjudged to have struck an opponent.

Eight unanswered points from 2014 finalists CIT in the final quarter ultimately secured the Cork outfit a comfortable round-one win.

Manager and former Cork defender Pat Mulcahy paid tribute to his influential Tipp men.

“John will always stand up for you when you need him to, always,” said Mulcahy. “He enjoys the big games. He seems to grow a little bit on big days, whereas others might shrink into themselves.

“John just has that little bit of personality to step up. He actually had a slight injury coming in but he came up trumps for us.

“All the lads did well and I actually thought our best player was Conor Hammersley. His work rate was phenomenal.”

CIT initially took full advantage of Carroll’s red card and moved 0-4 to 0-1 ahead though stubborn DCU were back level at 0-5 apiece after 24 minutes as they played with the wind advantage.

DCU briefly led after Kevin O’Flynn’s injury-time goal, before Hammersley struck to leave it 1-5 to 0-8 at half-time.

The third quarter was dour and error strewn but CIT finally came good in the final quarter to pull away.

Substitute Mark Ellis began the scoring spree and O'Dwyer adding four more points, including one free from 100 yards out.

UL 2-24 NUI Galway 0-6
Manager Brian Lohan was delighted as his UL side got their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign off to the best possible start at Dangan in Galway beating NUI Galway 2-24 to 0-6.

The home side played with the wind at their backs in the first-half but went in trailing 0-9 to 0-5.

“We came up here to do a job and we are really happy to get over the line,” said Lohan. “We didn’t know what sort of side NUI Galway would have out but we beat them and that is the important thing.” NUI Galway were always playing catch-up and UL hit the first four scores with Tony Kelly (two), Conor Martin and Kevin O’Brien on target despite playing against the wind. They lead 0-9 to 0-5 at the break with Jason Forde getting four points.

UL put the game beyond doubt in the opening minutes of the second-half. They had scored 1-6 before Bobby Duggan got NUI Galway’s account going again.

Wing back Brian Stapleton was on target with three long-distance efforts but it was Kevin O’Brien rebounded goal in the 41st minute that was the real killer and he struck for another major six minutes later.

UCD 1-23 St Pat's 1-6
UCD got their bid to win the Fitzgibbon Cup for the first time since 2001 off to a powerful start with a 17-point win over St Pat's in awful conditions at Belfield.

Nicky English’s side were aided by a strong wind in icy conditions in the first half and went in at the break 0-16 to 1-2 up.

The conditions worsened after the break and with the floodlights on and heavy snow drifting across the pitch making visibility almost impossible, substitute Caolan Conway’s goal 14 minutes from time put a gloss on the win.

English admitted afterwards that he was worried at half-time despite the big lead.

“St Pat’s battled very hard and you never know with the wind,” the former Tipperary boss said. “It was absolutely horrendous but that’s the Fitzgibbon Cup for you, you’ve got to be expecting it.”

He had watched his side race 0-9 0-2 ahead after 12 minutes and although Peter Sutton reduced the deficit a minute later, it never looked like St Pat’s would worry UCD.

Ross King brought his first-half tally to five with two quick scores after that goal and Matthew O’Hanlon took advantage of the wind to step forward and hit a massive score from midfield.

Pat Purcell also fired over two long-range scores in the opening 30 minutes and when substitute Conway put his side 17 points up in the 46th there was no way back for St Pat’s.

UCC 3-19 GMIT 0-8
Lethal finishing from inter-county stars, Cork's Conor Lehane and Alan Cadogan and Clare's Shane O'Donnell, highlighted UCC's emphatic victory over GMIT at a bright, but bitterly cold Mardyke.

Between them they recorded an equal share of 3-6 before being replaced during the second-half, when the tie was well over as a contest.

The 2012 and 2013 champions are the fancied side to reclaim their title, having lost in the semi-final 12 months ago, and UCC went about their business in a clinical manner.

Cadogan pounced for the first goal after 15 minutes following a clever pass into space by O’Donnell before Lehane blasted in their second, six minutes later, for a 2-7 to 0-2 advantage.

The free-taking of Barry Lawton kept the scoreboard ticking along as UCC jumped 2-10 to 0-3 in front at the interval with GMIT struggling to contain the free-flowing play of their hosts.

Jason Flynn and Tadhg Haran kept trying for the visitors on the resumption with Haran delightfully cutting over a sideline ball from distance for one of the best points of the afternoon.

O’Donnell was denied a certain goal by a brilliant save from Dara Starr, but the Clare star eventually got his reward with a well-taken goal five minutes from the end.

Limerick IT 1-21 UUJ 0-12
David Reidy hit 10 points from placed balls as Limerick IT dismissed the challenge of 14-man University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

UUJ, who were level at 0-7 each at the break, were rocked by Eoin Campbell’s red card after the restart for a high frontal challenge on Seánie O’Brien.

UUJ, playing with the aid of an icy breeze from the start, had given a good account of themselves before Campbell’s dismissal.

But the home side LIT, managed by Davy Fitzgerald, made their numerical advantage count with a run of five unanswered points.

UUJ rallied to reduce the deficit to three points, 0-10 to 0-13. But Paul Killeen’s goal 13 minutes from time was the killer score, with LIT hit seven on the trot to close the game out.

In a three-team section that also contains DIT, LIT are virtually assured of a place in the knockout stages, barring a disaster in their final group outing.

Besides Reidy, there were also notable contributions from Killeen and O'Brien, who helped himself to four points from play during an action-packed hour.

WIT 3-13 IT Carlow 0-9
WIT's first defence of the Fitzgibbon Cup was a winning on as, despite being reduced to 14 men for almost the entire second half, the holders were never seriously troubled in seeing off the challenge of IT Carlow in this first round tie played in bitterly cold conditions at the IT Carlow grounds..

The Waterford students took early control playing with the wind with Jake Dillon, team captain and current Waterford senior player and Liam McGrath causing problems for the home defence. Waterford senior player Pauric Mahony punished Carlow indiscretions through his accuracy for placed balls – the centre forward finished with 0-8.

The holders had surged into an 0-10 to 0-3 lead by the 27th minute when Waterford senior county player Austin Gleeson struck for a goal as the visitors led 1-10 to 0-4 at the break.

A fracas developed close to the Waterford goal just after the resumption leading to the issuing of a straight red card to WIT defender Tom Fox. But the numerical disadvantage made little or no difference to the trend of play as the visitors continued to demonstrate the greater hurling skills, their first touch being much sharper than their opponents..

Jake Dillon did the major spadework for a well-taken WIT goal in the 51st minute as right half forward Liam McGrath swept the ball to the Carlow net. There was no way back for IT Carlow after that – they were wasteful in attack and never really threatened a goal that might have sparked a comeback. Ciarán O’Brien found the Carlow net only a matter of second after joining the action, to put a gloss on the WIT victory.