Ashbourne Cup / UL 6-5 UCD 1-8: University of Limerick won this year's Ashbourne Cup in fine style when they defeated University College Dublin at O'Toole Park, Crumlin, yesterday.
The host team got off to the best possible start when Offaly payer Sharron Daly scored a goal after only two minutes, though their lead was short-lived as UL's Orla Kilkenny from Galway struck the first of her three goals four minutes later.
UCD were stung again two minutes after that when a Jeanette Feighery goal gave the Limerick side a lead of 2-2 to 1-1.
A second goal from Kilkenny prompted the UCD management team to put Tipperary player Deirdre McDonnell on her. Yet the damage was already done and UCD trailed by 3-4 to 1-4 at half-time.
The second half began with UCD's Ciara Lucey scoring a point but UL responded in kind through Jenny O'Leary.
A second goal from Feighery, along with UL's fifth though Róisín Corcoran, made it clear where the Ashbourne Cup was bound for in the centenary year of Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael.
Orla Kilkenny was still looking for her hat-trick and with just one minute of normal time remaining she crowned a magnificent performance by getting just that.
UL: L Comerford; N Bowles, S O'Sullivan, S O'Gorman; R Glynn, A O'Regan, L Lally; S Ryan (0-1, free), O Bambury; D Bourke (0-1), A Connolly, J O'Leary (0-1); J Feighery (2-0), R Corcoran (1-0), O Kilkenny (3-2). Subs: L Ryan for R Glynn, A Sheehan for D Bourke.
UCD: S Finneran; S O'Grady, D Corcoran, S Kelly; D McDonnell, C O'Loughlin, T Brophy; J O'Sullivan, C Lucey (0-7, frees); C O'Loughlin, L Mahony, N Maher; S Daly (1-0), E Darmody, N O'Connor (0-1). Subs: F Cullen for J O'Sullivan, M Hannrick for S O'Grady.
Referee: B Nugent (Offaly).
l ASHBOURNE SHIELD: NUI Galway 2-7, Waterford IT 1-7. SCORERS: NUIG: L Kavangh (1-06, seven frees), N Houlihan (1-0), R Kaiser (0-1). WIT: P O'Halloran (1-3), L Young (0-2), E Quigley (0-1), K Corkery (0-1).
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