UCC catch fire in second half of cracker

A scintillating second-half display helped UCC win their ninth title and their first since 1973 in a fascinating replay before a crowd of 7,038 at Pairc Ui Chaoimh yesterday.

Such an outcome looked remote in the extreme after Nemo, playing free-flowing football, surged 0-4 to 0-1 clear at the end of the opening quarter. But the Steven O'Brien-inspired Nemo failed to press home their advantage, accumulating eight wides in the opening half as College rallied to be just 0-3 to 0-5 adrift at the interval.

UCC were a transformed side after the break. Their lethargic and ponderous approach was replaced by the type of football associated with College, and their forwards dragged the Nemo defence all over the pitch.

Kerry senior Eamon Fitzmaurice signalled their intent with a super point in the opening minute, followed quickly by two more from Ian Twiss and defender Damien Reidy, who won the man-of-the-match award.

College were now in front (0-6 to 0-5) for the first time, though Nemo soon levelled with a Colin Corkery free and regained the lead, when John Paul O'Neill knocked over a point to set the tie alight. Nemo goalkeeper Don Heaphy rescued his side with a point-blank save from Liam Murphy after 38 minutes before substitute Seamus Downey, the star of the drawn game, pointed to make it 0-7 each. The sides exchanged points again, Twiss for College and Corkery from yet another free, before UCC captain Micheal O Croinin edged his team 0-9 to 0-8 entering the final quarter.

UCC then grabbed the all-important goal. A flowing move involving Reidy and Michael D Cahill set up Twiss, whose left-foot shot squeezed through the legs of a number of defenders.

College rubber-stamped their superiority with another O Croinin free and suddenly Nemo found themselves 1-10 to 0-8 behind with only six minutes remaining. Steven O'Brien cracked home a super goal to offer Nemo hope, but Corkery shot two wides before O Croinin thumped over a super 50-metre free in injury time to crown a memorable afternoon for UCC.

UCC: A Quirke; C Breathnach, S MacSithigh, F Kelleher; P Galvin, E Fitzmaurice (0-1), D Reidy (0-1); G Stack, E Hanrahan; L Murphy, M O Croinin (0-6), M O Se; M Cahill, B Sheehan, I Twiss (1-3). Sub: S Downey for Hanrahan

NEMO RANGERS: D Heaphy; L Kavanagh, D Kavanagh, K Cowhie; N Geary, S O'Brien (1-0), D Creedon; K Cahill (0-1), M McCarthy; JP O'Neill (0-1), M Cronin, K Connolly; A Cronin, J Kavanagh (0-1), C Corkery (0-5). Subs: S O'Brien for Connolly; I Gibbons for Cowhie; S Fahy for McCarthy.

Referee: M Collins.