O’Shaughnessy stars as focused GMIT upset CIT

PUMPED up from the off, strong and focused and playing controlled hurling to the finish, Galway/Mayo IT won a compelling Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final at CIT yesterday, making it a hugely disappointment day for the home side who host the semi-finals and final the weekend after next.

But a victory to savour for the westerners — into their first semi-finals — and no wonder selector Cathal Murray was elated.

“I’m thrilled for the lads, they worked really hard and to come down to Cork and beat CIT on their own patch makes it even better.

“We’ll prepare well for the semi-final. These lads are bursting with hurling and we’ll be going all out.”

And it was a huge team effort that left CIT for dead. True, Limerick star Andrew O’Shaughnessy scored 1-6 of GMIT’S first-half total as they trailed 1-8 to 1-7 at the break. But he failed to score for the second period, with Conor Kavanagh and Kenneth Burke taking over the mantle of destroyers.

There was a lightning start to the game — five points inside four minutes — Brian Corry, Adrian Mannix and Ryan Clifford for CIT after O’Shaughnessy had struck first.

Clifford proved to be CIT’s most potent striker, though just getting two points from play out of his 1-8 total. The rest of the attack failed miserably, and too much bunching played into the hands of a solid GMIT backline where Brian Regan, Ger Mahon and Neil Rodgers were impressive.

CIT were the better side in the opening quarter and led 0-6 to 0-3 when O’Shaughnessy’s long free deceived CIT keeper Mathew O’Donnell and went all the way to the net.

It had the effect of settling GMIT and with O’Shaughnessy unerring and CIT squandering chances, GMIT led 1-7 to 0-8 nearing half-time when full-back Mahon was penalised for a foul on Peter Downey in the square. Clifford fired home the penalty to give the home side that two-point cushion.

It got better for CIT on the restart when Eoin Dillon won a ball from the throw-in. He found Clifford who set up Leigh Desmond for a goal. But instead of inspiring the hosts, GMIT played out of their skins as points from Burke and one from Enda Feeney left just one between the sides entering the final quarter, 2-8 to 1-10.

Not even a super point from Clifford could inspire a tiring CIT and they were punished again in the 48th minute when keeper O’Donnell failed to deal with O’Shaughnessy’s cross and Kavanagh put the ball in the net.

Substitute Pádraig Gould scored two points for CIT when introduced but inspirational scores from Mark Flaherty and Burke made sure it was going to be a day to remember for GMIT.

Scorers: GMIT: A. O’Shaughnessy 1-6 (1-4 frees), C. Kavanagh 1-2, K. Burke 0-3, E. Feeney and M. Flaherty 0-1 each. CIT: R. Clifford 1-8 (1-0 pen, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65), L. Desmond 1-0, P. Gould 0-2 (0-1 free), B. Corry and A. Mannix 0-1 each.

GMIT: E. Ward (Galway); P. Callanan (Galway), G. Mahon (Galway), C. Flannery (Offaly); C. Horan (Offaly), B. Regan (Galway), N. Rodgers (Offaly); D. Barry (Galway), D. Maher (Tipperary); C. Kavanagh (Galway), C. Egan (Offaly), M. Flaherty (Clare); A. O’Shaughnessy (Limerick), K. Burke (Galway), E. Feeney (Galway).

Sub: P. Cormican (Galway) for Maher.

CIT: M. O’Donnell (Tipperary); J. O’Callaghan (Cork), J. Kindregan (Waterford), C. Murphy (Cork); S. White (Cork), R. Cashman Cork), N. Teehan (Tipperary); A. Mannix (Cork), S. McDonnell (Cork); P. Downey (Tipperary), E. Dillon (Cork), L. Desmond (Cork); C. Naughton (Cork), B. Corry (Cork), R. Clifford (Cork).

Subs: B. Ring (Cork) for Downey, P. Gould (Cork) for Naughton, M. Bowles (Cork) for Desmond, J. Herlihy (Cork) for White.

Referee: S. Roche (Tipperary).