O’Sullivan-inspired UCC demolish WIT

INSPIRED by the magnificent Brendan Jer O’Sullivan, UCC powered to the McGrath Cup semi-finals with a facile victory over Waterford IT at Fraher Field, Dungarvan yesterday.

Dominant throughout the field, the Cork students retired 3-5 to 0-2 clear at the interval and continued to impress after the restart. With O’Sullivan and Michael Cussen controlling midfield, WIT simply had no answer to the relentless onslaught of attacks.

UCC were six points clear in as many minutes with O’Sullivan, Brian Mulvihill, and Paul O’Connor hitting points followed by their first goal in the sixth minute when O’Sullivan’s drive deflected off an upright.

The losers had to wait until the 16th minute for their opening score from their most industrious forward, Brian Queeney.

A further brace of goals in the 20th and 22nd minutes simply confirmed UCC’s dominance. The first of them was clinically finished by Paul O’Connor after a defence splitting move involving Michael O’Donoghue and Brian Mulvihill.

O’Sullivan notched up his second two minutes later finishing a spectacular solo run with an unstoppable drive into the corner from 20 yards.

UCC had the luxury of substituting two of their most influential players — Michael Shiels and John Hayes — in the closing quarter, while two of their substitutes, David Kearney and John Gould, had points.

Hayes had added a fourth goal on the three quarter hour mark and their fifth was scored by their very impressive and hard working corner forward Paul O’Connor seconds before the final whistle.

Scorers: UCC: B. G. O’Sullivan(2-2); P. O’Connor(2-2); J. Hayes(1-1); B. Mulvihill, M. O’Donoghue, D. Kearney, J. Gould(0-1) each. Waterford IT: P. J. Banville (0-4); B. Queeney (0-3).

UCC: K. O’Halloran; R. Collins, D. Óg O’Donovan, M. Fitzgerald; N. Horgan, M. Shiels, R. Power; M. Cussen, B. G. O’Sullivan; K. O’Keeffe, J. Hayes, G. Leahy; B. Mulvihill, M. O’Donoghue, P. O’Connor.

Subs: S. Óg Ó Ciardabhain for O’Halloran; D. Kearney for O’Keeffe; D. Lowney for Mulvihill; E. Cotter for Shiels; J. Gould for Hayes.

WATERFORD IT: E. Doran; C. O’Connor, M. O’Gorman, E. Weafer; T. Grye, E. Rockett, R. Alcock; R. Finnegan, J. Ryan; M. Curran, B. Queeney, M. Kearney; B. O’Hanlon, P. J. Banville, L. Lawlor.

Subs: M. Murphy for Finnegan; L. Tiernan for O’Connor; P. Fenton for Weafer.

Referee: Paddy Russell, Tipperary.