UCD book quarter-final spot

UCD 2-16 DCU 1-14: UCD eventually broke the resistance of Dublin rivals DCU to book their place in the Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-finals.

Nicky English’s side led 0-7 0-6 at the break but second-half goals from Oisín O’Ruairc and Colm O’Croinín helped put nine points between the sides with 12 minutes to go.

DCU’s Donal Breathnach kept his side in touch with some expert shooting as he ended up with 10 points and although Kevin O’Flynn found the top corner of Billy Leydon’s goal approaching the hour, it was too little too late for the away side.

O’Ruairc was a menace after coming on in the first-half and he goaled l on 36 minutes after latching on to a Joe Lyng free that came back off the post.

The goal finally put some daylight between the sides and O’Ruairc scored the next four points to leave the score 1-12 to 0-9 after 45 minutes.

DCU ’s bus had arrived late to Belfield to delay the throw-in by 10 minutes. Kilkenny’s Cillian Buckley assumed the free-man role as the first-half went on and his point on 25 minuteso gave a bit of example to his forwards.

Scorers for UCD: O O’Ruairc (1-6, 0-4 frees), R King (0-5, 0-3 frees), C O’Croinin (1-1), C Devitt (0-2), C Buckley, C Conway (0-1 each).

Scorers for DCU: D Breathnach (0-10, 0-6 frees), K O’Flynn (1-0), C Boland (0-2), M Daly, P Breheny (0-1 each).

UCD: B Leydon (Kilkenny); E Conroy (Wexford), C O’Shea (Kilkenny), S Murphy (Wexford); C Buckley (Kilkenny, capt), M O’Hanlon (Wexford), J Lyng (Kilkenny); C O’Callaghan (Dublin), C MacGabhainn (Dublin); C O’Croinin (Dublin), C Devitt (Wexford), J O’Connor (Wexford); C Conway (Dublin), C MacDonagh (Galway), R King (Laois).

Subs: O O’Ruairc (Dublin) for MacDonagh (23), B Whelan (Kilkenny) for MacGabhainn (46), D Fox (Galway) for O’Connor (50), D Mulligan (Dublin) for Lyng (54), D Dolan (Galway) for Conway (60).

DCU: C Ryan (Dublin); G Bennett (Carlow), R Lennon (Kilkenny), D Staunton (Wicklow); G Bailley (Wexford), P Burke (Galway), S Murphy (Wexford); K Fitzgerald (Waterford), T French (Wexford); P Breheny (Galway), K O’Flynn (Dublin), C Boland (Dublin); D Breathnach (Waterford), C Curran (Waterford, capt), M Daly (Westmeath).

Subs: C Egan (Roscommon) for Burke (28), P Bolger (Wexford) for Egan (55).

Yellow cards: Fitzgerald (3), Burke (25), O’Flynn (28).

Referee: P Murphy (Carlow).