Home advantage should see CIT through to finals weekend

The first two Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-finals will be played this afternoon.

Cork IT v NUIG, CIT (B Gavin, Offaly), 2pm

NUIG stand as the surprise packets of the last eight, their 0-21 to 0-19 win against UCC the shock result of the competition.

JP O’Connell’s men rubber-stamped their progression to the knockout stages courtesy of a 0-17 to 0-12 win over GMIT. Galway’s Cathal Mannion, along with Clare’s Bobby Duggan and Conor Cleary were again their most impressive performers.

Pat Mulcahy’s Cork IT outfit is laced with inter-county talent and NUIG will be hard-pressed to keep a tight leash on Cork trio Bill Cooper, Mark Ellis and Aidan Walsh, not forgetting Tipperary sharpshooter John O’Dwyer.

Home advantage, greater overall balance and a most impressive central spine should see CIT comfortably return to the finals weekend.

Verdict: CIT

UL v UCD, UL (B Kelly, Westmeath), 3pm

The pick of the four quarter-finals. UL secured home advantage courtesy of Jason Forde’s equaliser at the death against UCC, a significant result considering it was achieved without the services of Clare full-back David McInerney and 2014 Wexford U21 captain Shane O’Gorman.

In their expected absence today, Clare’s Tony Kelly and Jack Browne, Tipperary’s Brian Stapleton and Conor Martin of Kilkenny will lead the charge.

UCD will again be without Wexford full-forward Conor McDonald and the over-reliance on Laois’s Ross King in attack could prove their undoing.

Verdict: UL