Galway get the right side of LIT

FITZGIBBON CUP SEMI-FINAL/NUI GALWAY 1-24 Limerick IT 1-23 AET:GALWAY DEFENDER John Lee put the shackles on his county colleague Joe Canning as hosts NUIG shocked favourites Limerick IT in Dangan yesterday.

Canning did not score from play until he landed a point in extra-time and, while the quality of ball into him was poor, Lee dealt with the threat sufficiently to give NUIG a fighting chance.

And they seized the opportunity to book a place in today’s final as they bid to bridge a 30-year gap since they lifted their ninth crown.

And yet Canning – who still managed to hit 0-13 – could have won it in the dying seconds but he saw a rasping 21-yard free fly over rather than under the bar.

NUIG got a huge boost in the second minute when Cormac O’Donovan fired home a goal but Willie Hyland’s accuracy hauled LIT back into contention.

The sides were level six times in the opening half as Canning and Coone regularly exchanged pointed frees.

The teams were level at 1-8 to 0-11 at the break but NUIG got a great start to the second-half with points from Domhnall O’Donovan, David Barrett and Coone and in between Canning uncharacteristically mishit a 21-yards free goal opportunity which skewed wide.

Canning recovered by landing sideline pucks from either side but NUIG were more hungry and should have pulled away but a final wides tally of 18 allowed Limerick IT stay in the contest.

Limerick IT drew level with a Timmy Dalton goal five minutes from time and led in stoppage time before Séamus Hennessy rescued NUIG with a point from distance on the left touchline.

NUIG’s David Barrett was red-carded for a wild pull in the dying moments but they led by 1-21 to 1-20 at the interval in extra-time.

Points from Shane Quinlan, Coone and Kelly were enough in the end to send them through as Canning’s last-gasp effort failed to rescue the favourites.

NUI GALWAY: D Tuohy; D Nash, J Lee, D Connolly; P Gordon, S Hennessy (0-2, one free), P Kelly (0-1); B Daly (0-2), D O’Donovan (0-2); D Barrett (0-2), K Keehan, C O’Donovan (1-0); G Kelly (0-2), J Conlon (0-5, four frees), F Coone (0-5, three frees). Subs: C Morey (0-2) for Keehan (37 mins), S Quinlan (0-1) for C O’Donovan, 47 (mins), JP O’Connell for Kelly (56 mins).

LIMERICK IT: M Ryan; C Chaplin, C Cooney, J Gunning; N O’Connell (0-1, free), J McInerney, R Sherlock; P O’Brien (0-1), S Collins (0-2); N Quinn (0-2), S Callanan, W Hyland (0-3); S Tobin, J Canning (0-13, nine frees, two sidelines, one 65), B Gaffney (0-1). Subs: J O’Keeffe for Sherlock (27 mins), T Dalton (1-0) for O’Brien (36 mins).

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).