Cap Fitz for UCC in win over DCU
UCC 2-17 DCU 0-22 Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final BY PETER RAMSEY UCC are through to the Fitzgibbon Cup final after claiming a thrilling semifinal victory against DCU in extra time last night.
Chris O’leary’s controversial 82nd minute penalty sealed the Cork students a place in next week’s decider after DCU looked to have done enough with Chris Crummey’s late point sending them into injurytime a point in front.
But they would concede a debateable penalty right at the death, which 21-year-old O’leary kept his cool to convert, sending them out of this competition and their opponents towards a final date with the winners of Mary Immaculate and NUIG, who meet tomorrow night.
DCU had edged the opening 20 minutes of this contest and led by 0-8 to 0-6 before Shane Kingston rattled the back of their net with a fine finish to the roof of the net, handing the victors their first lead of the evening.
The Cork star landed a superb point from a tight angle just moments later to send Tom Kingston’s men in leading by the minimum (1-8 to 0-10) at the interval.
The sides would be level four times throughout the second-half, including at the finish when James Bergin’s brilliant effort left it at 1-13 to 0-16 after 62 minutes.
Scores from Billy Ryan and Wexford’s Rory O’connor saw the Dublin side edge matters by one at the short break and they looked on course for victory once they cancelled out O’leary’s leveller with back-to-back singles from marksmen Bergin and Crummey.
O’leary and Crummey traded white flags back and forth as the clock ticked down and DCU were looking on course until conceding that penalty in the dying stages which Kilkenny man O’leary tucked away to leave Eoin Roche’s men heartbroken.