Hogan to the rescue as UCD snatch late draw

IT MAY have taken a late quality point from full-forward Keith Hogan to save UCD’s bacon in this thrilling Fitzgibbon Cup game at WIT’s Carriganore venue yesterday, but it was well deserved on a day hurling itself was the real winner.

The exchanges were frenetic, yet sportingly contested right through with the quality of the hurling also right out of the top drawer.

Add in the many outstanding individual performances on both sides and you had the very best possible start to the competition.

With first use of the stiffish breeze it took UCD less than two minutes to ease into the lead with a Cian MacGiolla Bhride point. But, four minutes later, ace marksman Timmy Hammersley had WIT level with the first of his eventual 10-point haul.

Already full-back Sean Cummins was emerging a hugely influential presence on the fringe of the UCD square and the more the game advanced, the more dominant he became. Tipperary All Star hero Noel McGrath was also beginning to lord the midfield area, and they were well worth their 0-5 to 0-2 lead midway through the half.

They would have been even better positioned, however, had not David O’Connor been denied a seemingly certain goal on 14 minutes when WIT goalkeeper Liam Tierney brilliantly deflected his effort out for a 65 which the unerring McGrath pointed.

Finding inspiration in that magnificent Tierney save, WIT clawed their way back, mainly through the free-taking accuracy of Hammersley. Michael Sheedy for WIT and outstanding wing back Niall Prendergast also exchanged superb points from play and the sides retired at the break deadlocked on 0-6 each.

With the wind behind them on the turnover it would have been WIT in the happier frame of mind, and when Kilkenny panellist John Mulhall rifled over the second of his two points from play to put them in front, UCD looked to be facing an uphill battle.

Their instant response however quelled any perceived fears of their capitulation and O’Connor’s equalising point set the tone for a rip-roaring second half.

The only goal of the game came in the 39th minute when the industrious Liam Rushe, a constant threat to the home defence, grabbed a MacGiolla Bhride centre and he had the ball nestling in the back of the net to give his side a 1-8 to 0-8 advantage.

McGrath was continuing to excel for UCD in the middle of the field and when Hammersley wasted a great goal chance inside 60 seconds of Rushe’s effort at the other end, a surprise result looked on.

An exchange of points between Hammersley and Hogan still left that goal separating them, but inspired by David Langton, Wayne Hutchinson, and Noel Connors in defence, WIT upped the ante and for the first time in the game put UCD under sustained pressure.

A rapid-fire hat-trick of Hammersley points (two frees) had them level, and when Ray McLoughney and Hammersley from another free put them two up with less than nine minutes remaining, the pendulum looked to have finally swung the home side’s way.

But UCD did as they had done from the very start — battle — and fittingly it was their two outstanding players, Noel McGrath and Keith Hogan, who saved them from what would have been an undeserving defeat.

McGrath’s 65 conversion narrowed the deficit to the minimum and while Cork’s Fintan O’Leary instantly responded with one for WIT, further points from McGrath and Hogan left it all square at the end.

Scorers for WIT: T. Hammersley (0-10, 0-8 frees); J. Mulhall (0-2); M. Sheedy, R. McLoughney, F. O’Leary (0-1) each.

Scorers for UCD: N. McGrath (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-2 “65s); L. Rushe (1-0); K. Hogan (0-3); D. O’Connor (0-2); C. Mac Giolla Bhride, N. Prendergast (0-1) each.

WATERFORD IT: L. Tierney (Kilkenny); B. Kenny (Galway). S. Fives (Waterford). N. Connors (do); W. Hutchinson (do). D. Langton (Kilkenny). E. Barrett (Clare); K. Grehan (Kilkenny). L. Harney (do); F. O’Leary (Cork). J. Mulhall (Kilkenny). C. Parlon (Offaly); R. McLoughney (Tipperary). M. Sheedy (do). T. Hammersley (do).

Subs: B. O’Meara(Tipperary) for Grehan(40); P. J. Rowe(Kilkenny) for Parlon(48).

UCD: J. Ryan (Galway); J. Doyle (Wexford). S. Cummins (Kilkenny). O. Gough (Dublin); N. Prendergast (Kilkenny). E. O’Shea (do). S. Norton (do); N. McGrath (Tipperary). D. Fox (Galway); C. Mac Giolla Bhride (Dublin). L. Rushe (do). C. Allis (Limerick); D. O’Connor (Dublin). K. Hogan (Kilkenny). W. Walsh (do).

Subs: J. O’Loughlin for Allis(26).

Referee: Michael Wadding, Waterford.