DCU take O’Byrne Cup

DCU 1-15 Louth 0-17

DCU gained revenge for last year's final defeat to the same opposition, becoming the first third level college to be crowned O'Byrne Cup champions.

The Glasnevin outfit lifted the Leinster trophy after a tigerish 1-15 to 0-17 win over Louth at Dowdallshill in Dundalk.

Wexford's Shane Roche stood out for the students with six points, including four from placed balls.

This game was keenly-contested throughout, with the hosts on the right side of 0-9 to 1-6 interval scoreline. Shane Lennon, Mark Brennan and Brian White were among the Louth scorers.

Louth led by 0-6 to 0-4 after 26 minutes, but DCU edged into a 1-5 to 0-6 lead when Roscommon's Donal Shine sent the ball through to Meath's Brian Sheridan who fed Willie Mulhall and the Offaly man knocked it to the net for the only goal of the contest.

DCU's joy was short-lived though as Louth bounced back before the interval, with three of the four points before the break - Mark Brennan, Brian White and Colm Judge were on target, swamping a lone Bryan Cullen point for the students.

Louth may have finished the first half brightly, but DCU responded well on the restart by landing the first three points of the second period.

The sides were level on two occasions, before Michael Boyle pulled off a superb save from a goal-bound Lennon shot.

Louth bounced 0-17 to 1-11 ahead with eight minutes left on the clock, thanks to scores from Declan Byrne and Lennon (0-2).

But the Sigerson Cup quarter-finalists summoned a superb fightback as a flurry of pointed frees from Roche pushed the students to a gutsy victory.