Alan Cadogan fires hat-trick for UCC
Just six points separated the teams when Ulster University’s Kevin Rice pointed with 20 minutes left but it was to prove their last score and Alan Cadogan, Rob O’Shea and Rickard Cahalane helped UCC to pull clear before a pair of Cadogan goals in the 51st and 52nd minutes put the issue beyond doubt.
Two points on the board ahead of a tricky away game against UCD next week, but manager Tom Kingston acknowledged there is a lot of room for improvement: “I don’t know if the scoreline reflected the way the match went,” he said.
“I’m not fully happy with the way we played but we did okay. We have a big game next week, UCD in Belfield, we know what they’re like, they’re excellent, this is what it comes down to and that’s as far as we’re looking. We lost our concentration and our shape a bit in the first-half, we’ll have to look at that.”
The visitors actually led through Nicky McKeague’s opening point, but when frees by Robert O’Shea were augmented by Gavin O’Brien points and a Cadogan goal, UCC looked in command.
That was to reckon without the game UU effort, led by Michael Dudley and Jackson McGreevey, and even though James O’Flynn got UCC’s second goal following good Michael Breen work, McKeague replied, nipping in to fire home after Kevin Rice hit the crossbar.
That made it 2-5 to 1-3 with 28 minutes gone, but there was time for O’Flynn to set up O’Shea for a third UCC goal and then point himself to establish a nine-point half-time advantage.
Within a minute of the restart, that was back to six after Liam Dunphy’s long-range free slipped from Dylan Desmond’s grasp and was adjudged to have fallen behind the line. It wasn’t to prove the impetus for a full-blown comeback though and while UCC didn’t steer clear, Breen and Chris O’Leary at midfield provided the platform for a steady improvement.
Cadogan showcased his wares with two more goals for the hat-trick, the latter a bullet of a strike.
A Cadogan (3-1), R O’Shea (1-7, 6 frees), J O’Flynn (1-1), G O’Brien (0-2), R Cahalane, A Spillane (0-1).
N McKeague (1-2, 2 frees), L Dunphy (1-0, free), J Connolly, K Rice 0-1 each.
D Desmond (Éire Óg); I Kenny (Ballygunner, Waterford), C Spillane (Castlelyons), S Roche (Shamrocks, Waterford); S Kennedy (St Mary’s, Tipperary), C Gleeson (Fourmilewater, Waterford), R Cahalane (Ballymartle); C O’Leary (Valley Rovers), M Breen (Ballina, Tipperary); J Power (Carrickshock, Kilkenny), T Devine (Modeligo, Waterford), G O’Brien (Roanmore, Waterford); A Cadogan (Douglas), J O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), R O’Shea (Carrigaline).
A Spillane (Castlelyons) for Power (50), M O’Connor (Douglas) for Cahalane (54), M O’Halloran (Blackrock) for Cadogan (54), N Motherway (Dungourney) for O’Shea (58), E Gunning (Na Piarsaigh) for Kenny (58).
S Doherty (St John’s); A Orchin (O’Donovan Rossa), G Walsh (O’Donovan Rossa), T Ó Ciarán (St Gall’s); R Brannigan (Clonduff, Down), J McGreevey (St Gall’s), D O’Hara (Cushendun); J McNaughton (Loughgiel Shamrocks), M Dudley (St John’s); L Dunphy (Lisdowney, Kilkenny), K Rice (Kickhams Creggan), J O’Dywer (Banagher, Derry); A Dooley (Dunloy), N McKeague (Dunloy), J Connolly (O’Donovan Rossa).
J O’Connell (Clooney Gaels) for O’Dywer (46), D McGuinness (Sarsfields) for Dunphy (49), T Burns (Armoy) for Orchin (51), P Butler (Carey) for McKeague (58), R Gillen (St Enda’s) for McNaughton (58).
G Quilty (Kilkenny).
