FITZGIBBON CUP: University of Limerick 1-15 St Patrick's 1-11:UNIVERSITY of Limerick now know that retaining the Fitzgibbon Cup this year will be a harder task than last year's achievement.

On paper this was a match they should have won with relative ease, but instead they were pushed all the way by St Patrick’s team that battled for every ball.

The student teachers were the better team for most of the first half, and established a 1-3 to 0-2 lead when Niall Arthur smashed a 21-yard free to the back of the net.

UL slowly asserted themselves thanks mainly to the energy and accuracy of centre-forward Cyril Donnellan, and at half-time had managed to draw level.

UL finally gained the upper hand when Bill Beckett lashed home a goal that put them five up, and though St Patrick’s responded immediately with two fine points, they never really looked like scoring the goal needed to claim a share of the spoils.

A late free from UL’s Conor McGrath set the seal on a hard-fought victory for the reigning champions.

UL:T Lowry (Tipp); P Stapleton (Tipp), M Walsh (Kilkenny), K Fox (Tipp); L Ryan (Kilkenny), P Maher (Tipp), M Walsh (Kilkenny); B Bugler (Clare), L Markham (Clare, 0-1); B Beckett (Kilkenny, 1-0), C Donnellan (Galway, 0-3), J Coen (Galway, 0-1); J Regan (Galway), C McGrath (Clare, 0-9, 0-6 frees), P Kelly (Tipperary). Subs: K Morris (Tipp) for C Donnellan (28 mins),

J Gallagher (Tipp, 0-1) for K Morris (half-time), M Heffernan (Tipp) for J Regan (49 mins), D Walton (Kilkenny) for J Coen (60 mins).

ST PATRICK'S:S Murphy (Kilkenny); D Glynn (Galway), D Wafer (Kilkenny), D Byrne (Wexford); N Ring (Dublin), M Quilty (Dublin), I Duggan (Kilkenny); L Ryan (Kilkenny), P Kehoe (Carlow); T Breen (Kilkenny, 0-2), M Bergin (Kilkenny), L French (Wexford); K Nimmo (Wexford, 0-1), C Maher (Kilkenny), N Arthur (Clare, 1-8, 1-7 frees). Subs: D Wright (Wexford) for L French (45 mins), DM Carroll (Wexford) for C Maher (55 mins).

Referee: A Stapleton (Laois).