Ruthless UL benefit from forward thinking

A POWERFUL and consummate display propelled UL past the challenge of Cork IT in yesterday’s Ulster Bank Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final in the Clan na nGael Fontenoy club in Ringsend.

The Limerick college were awesome at times, their physical strength, aerial abilities and sublime marksmanship to the fore from the word go. It was the type of display that could lead some to anoint them as champions but the problem for UL is that there remains one more obstacle to surmount, in the shape of UCC in today’s decider.

Peaking in semi-finals is rendered irrelevant if followed by a subsequent faltering at the final hurdle, and coach Ger Cunningham was at pains after this game to stress that.

“This win won’t matter unless we go on to win out. The priority was to get to the final and we’ve done that now. But the big one is the final in Parnell Park. The moment the final whistle went there, we had to start preparing for that.

“Still, to put in a performance is the main thing and we performed there. You’d have to be happy with that. We got off to a great start which helped. We had that bit of hunger and our forwards probably worked that bit harder. So they found it very difficult to get the ball out.

“The last few years we’ve been knocking on the door, it’s just to get a run in this competition now. A lot of the lads are hurting after the last few years. They’re a great bunch of fellas and they like the system we’re using.”

There was a huge amount to admire in some of the individual standouts that UL produced here. Centre-back Thomas Stapleton provided a reliable defensive base, while at midfield Seamus Hickey and Michael Gleeson combined wonderfully with constant energy and drive.

A hefty 3-20 total indicates the firepower of the UL attack and when served with quality possession, they caused havoc. The full-forward trio of Brian Carroll, Matt Ruth and Alan Egan excelled, with a shared return of 3-10 portraying their potency.

For CIT the match was largely a chastening experience, but it was not a question of them being sub-standard, more a case of UL never allowing them to get into their stride.

CIT got off to a bad start when shipping an early deluge of scores and trailed by double scores at the interval. In such circumstances it was always going to be an uphill struggle, and being unable to get a grip in the critical areas around the middle, meant their overworked defence became submerged under pressure early on.

By the fifth minute, UL had skipped 1-3 to 0-1 in front and already looked a formidable force. The goal was batted in by Ruth after good work by Egan, and though CIT briefly rallied, UL bounded on to lead 1-7 to 0-4, with Carroll and Egan picking off nice points. CIT were in desperate need of an injection of belief and that did arrive in the 17th minute, Cathal Naughton creating the opening for Tony Murphy to drill in a splendid goal.

But UL cranked up the intensity with Hickey, Martin Walsh and Ryan O’Dwyer striking over missiles from distance, while Ruth got in for another goal in the 26th minute, bundling home after an incisive run.

At the break CIT were staring into a 2-10 to 1-5 deficit. They emerged for the second-half and did make a concerted effort at retrieval. Stephen McDonnell moved back to bed down the full-back line, and along with Eoin Dillon, they managed to silence Egan and Ruth for the half. The problem was that UL had plenty players capable of picking up the scoring baton, with Carroll starting to hit full speed and Gleeson and Hickey weaving through for scores.

Ryan Clifford’s accurate freetaking pegged back some of UL’s advantage but every time CIT inched closer, UL cancelled out with the next attack. Carroll then went about settling the issue. He landed a 46th minute point before striking to the net moments later after good work by Sean Ryan.

CIT did show grit in foraging until the end. Fittingly their best player Tony Murphy rifled in another goal, from a close-range free in the 51st minute, but UL’s class was undoubted and they marched on impressively.

Scorers for UL: B Carroll 1-6 (0-3f), M Ruth 2-2, M Gleeson 0-3, A Egan, J Greene, S Hickey 0-2 each, M Walsh, D Hayden, R O’Dwyer 0-1 each.

Cork IT: T Murphy 2-1 (0-1f), R Clifford 0-4 (0-4f), A Mannix (0-1 ’65, 0-1f), P Gould 0-2 each, B Corry, E Cronin 0-1 each.

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

Subs: S Ryan (Offaly) for Ó Murchu (29), S O’Brien for McCarthy (48), D Hayden for Greene (53), D Greene for Gleeson (59), D Burke for Ruth (59).

CORK IT: C Barry (Cork); S White (Cork), G O’Driscoll (Cork), C Murphy (Cork); E Dillon (Cork), R Cashman (Cork), J Herlihy (Cork); S McDonnell (Cork), A Mannix (Cork); P Downey (Tipperary), B Corry (Cork), E Cronin (Cork); C Naughton (Cork), Tony Murphy (Cork), R Clifford (Cork).

Subs: S Howley (Galway) for Mannix (39), P Gould (Cork) for Downey (47), M Bowles (Cork) for Cronin (51), Timmy Murphy (Cork) for Clifford (60), D Kenneally (Cork) for Herlihy (60).

Referee: Eamonn Morris (Dublin)