O'Driscoll goal secures UCC's quarter-final berth

LAST year’s finalists UCC endured a testing Sigerson Cup opener in the Mardyke yesterday afternoon before prevailing against GMIT and advancing to a repeat of last season’s final in the last eight against DCU.

It was only when wing-forward Kevin O’Driscoll buried a fierce drive to the net in the 57th minute that UCC could relax and be assured that they were set to progress, as GMIT had proved to be stubborn opponents to shake off. When these colleges clashed at the same venue in last season’s competition, GMIT had produced a similarly strong challenge and entering the closing stages of yesterday’s game they crucially held the momentum. Their excellent full-forward Stephen Griffin had held his nerve to split the posts with three successive placed balls and succeed in whittling UCC’s advantage down to 0-10 to 0-9.

GMIT wing-forward Steven Kavanagh then made a vital intervention in the 56th minute when he raced back to block a goalbound drive by Barry O’Driscoll and his team sought to build possession from the back as they pursued an equalising score. However disaster struck when the alert Stephen O’Brien intercepted a wayward pass and he combined with Daithí Casey to feed O’Driscoll who confidently dispatched the ball past GMIT netminder Brendan Walsh.