Kelly strikes to seal UL win

TIPPERARY senior Paul Kelly pounced for a crucial 55th minute goal that swung yesterday’s Fitzgibbon Cup Group D tie in Limerick in the direction of his UL team.

This was a tight and keenly contested battle throughout and the type of game where a goal was always likely to have a decisive impact. UL struck at a decisive time when Bill Beckett, who won a Fitzgibbon Cup medal in 2009 with UCC, knifed through the centre of the defence and off-loaded to Kelly. He managed to get a shot away under pressure and the ball bounced off goalkeeper Darren McCarthy’s hurley and into the roof of the net. UCC’s retort consisted of a fine point by Dean Brosnan but it was not adequate to rescue this tie, consigning them to a deflating start to their campaign. Their prospects of making the knockout stages are still in good shape with a tie against DCU to come but it’s difficult now to see them securing a coveted home quarter-final.

In contrast this result injected a huge boost to UL’s aspirations as they managed to replicate last season’s quarter-final victory over UCC at the same venue. Kelly’s priceless strike came just 19 minutes after they had trailed by 0-13 to 0-6 and looked to be on course to succumb to an impressive UCC side.