SIGERSON CUP FINAL/DCU 2-17 NUI Maynooth 0-7:DCU'S RUNAWAY Sigerson Cup win flew in the face of the notion that teams have to train intensely with victorious manager Niall Moyna revealing afterwards they had trained just four times in the past five weeks.
Their busy schedule, which also included winning the O’Byrne Cup, led to them concentrating on games and it paid off with a superb victory at Pearse Stadium on Saturday when they won their third Sigerson Cup. “There is this whole thing that you have to do lots and lots of training. We played our O’Byrne Cup games and Sigerson Cup games, we met once a week and gave them a whole week off,” said Moyna.
Of course, having a star-studded squad at his disposal also played a big part – they could afford to leave out Donegal captain Michael Murphy and Sligo star David Kelly until the second-half – but Moyna said that the win was testimony to the work done in the college over the years. “A decade ago we made the decision to make Gaelic games and athletics our number one sports. . . I’d like to see other people copying us,” said Moyna.
DCU led 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval having played against the wind and they pushed on from there with Dublin stars Paul Flynn and Eoghan O’Gara leading the way for a side who scored all bar a point of their total from play.
Maynooth manager John Divilly said: “Our semi-final win over UCC probably took a lot out of us and we just never got going. In fairness, DCU have some squad and they used it well,” said Divilly.
DCU, bidding for their third Sigerson title in seven years, led by 0-5 to 0-1 after just 14 minutes, with Dean Rock and David Keenan also impressive. Maynooth, appearing in their first final since they won their only crown in 1976, rallied before the break and points from Mickey Newman, David Dalton and David Quinn gave them some hope.
But that disappeared inside four minutes of the restart as points from O’Gara and Kelly were followed by a goal from Flynn when he flicked home a 45 from Rock.
There was no way back for Maynooth after that as DCU picked off superb points from all angles.
Sligo’s Kelly fired to the net after more good approach work from Rock as they eased their way to the biggest winning margin in a Sigerson final since 1969.
DCU: M Boyle; P McMahon, K Gavin, E Culligan; J McCarthy, J Cooper, N Collins; F O Shea, C Begley; P Flynn (1-3), D Rock (0-4, 0-1 free), D Keenan (0-3); J Brady, E O’Gara (0-4), A McFadden. Subs: D Kelly (1-1) for Brady (30 mins); M Murphy (0-1) for Keenan (40 mins); G Sweeney (0-1) for Rock (49); R Hennelly for Boyle, (54); F O Curraoin for O’Gara (57).
NUI MAYNOOTH: S Connolly; D Dalton (0-1); K O’Brien, K Lynch; T Moolick (0-1), J McDermott, S Denvir; C Berrigan (0-1), C Brophy; M Newman (0-2, 0-1 free), S Hurley, C Mullins; P Cahillane (0-1), J Califf, David Quinn (0-1). Subs: S Fahey for Califf (34 mins); T Johnson for Denvir (37); David Quinn (Lucan) for Berrigan (45); W Ryan for Lynch (48); P O Griofa for Mullins (52 mins).
Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
