UCC taste Fitzgibbon Cup success

UCC 2-17 UL 0-14

University College Cork withstood a battling display from the University of Limerick to claim their 40th Ulster Bank Fitzgibbon Cup title and first since 1998.

In tonight's final at Parnell Park, both UCC goals came in a five-minute spell with Kilkenny’s John Mulhall, who top-scored with 1-3, netting just 27 seconds of the restart.

UCC led by 0-10 to 0-6 at half-time and made a tremendous start to the second half thanks to Mulhall's strike.

Tadhg Og Murphy followed up with a cracking goal, less than five minutes later, to open up a ten-point gap for the Corkmen.

UL did not lie down and they battled back to cut the deficit to eight points.

Still playing with the bit between their teenth, UCC tagged on four unanswered points in as many minutes to edge into a 2-17 to 0-11 lead with seven minutes remaining.

Their Limerick opponents finished strongly with a trio of scores, with substitute David Burke, Brian Carroll and Michael Gleeson again on target, but it was a case of too little, too late.

Scorers for UCC: J Mulhall 1-3, S Moylan 0-4 (0-2f), T Og Murphy 1-1, S Burke 0-3, B O’Sullivan 0-2, M Cahill, R Foley, E Martin, D Hanley

0-1 each.

Scorers for UL: M Ruth 0-4, B Carroll 0-3 (0-1f), M Gleeson 0-2, T Stapleton (0-1f), S Hickey, A Egan, S Ryan, D Burke 0-1 each.

UCC (Cork unless stated): A Nash; S O’Neill, D McSweeney, C O’Sullivan; R Foley (Waterford), J Jordan, K Harnett; B O’Sullivan (Limerick, M Cahill (Tipperary); D Hanley (Limerick), B Beckett (Kilkenny), J Mulhall (Kilkenny); S Moylan, S Burke (Tipperary), T Og Murphy.

Subs used:E Martin (Wexford) for Hanley (49 mins), D Browne (Clare) for Cahill (56), W Kearney for C O’Sullivan (57), M Grace (Kilkenny) for O’Neill, C O’Driscoll for S Burke (both 59)

UL (Tipperary unless stated): P McCormack; B Fox, K Joyce (Kilkenny), M Verney (Offaly); JB McCarthy, T Stapleton, M Walsh (Kilkenny); S Hickey (Limerick), M Gleeson; S Ryan (Offaly), R O’Dwyer, J Greene (Galway); B Carroll (Offaly), M Ruth (Kilkenny), A Egan (Offaly).

Subs used: N O Murchu (Waterford) for Hickey (24-26 mins, blood sub), N O Murchu for Greene (36), S O’Brien (Clare) for Fox (38), D Hayden

(Offaly) for Stapleton (41), D Burke (Galway) for O’Dwyer (51), K Lannigan (Tipperary) for A Egan (57)

Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath)