MTU Cork win thriller as Maynooth bow out

The Cork side overcame a poor start and the loss of centre-back Paul Ring.

Corner forward Ryan O’Donovan of Barryroe was the star turn for the winners.

MTU CORK 3-14 

MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY 2-11 

MTU Cork recovered from their opening round defeat to UCD to secure their continued involvement in this year’s Sigerson Cup after a thrilling battle with Maynooth University on the 4G pitch at Abbotstown.

MTU overcame a poor start and the loss of centre-back Paul Ring to a second yellow card in the 44th minute to power home with a strong finish against the Division 1 League winners, who now exit the competition.

Corner forward Ryan O’Donovan of Barryroe was the star turn for the winners with an outstanding display of point-scoring with his classy left foot, weighing in with ten points, five from play, in an end-to-end encounter.

The Kildare university had a dream start with Fionn Ó Giolláin finding the net after only two minutes and points from their star forward Darragh Kirwan, who finished with six, and Sligo’s Donal Conlon saw them 1-2 to no score ahead before an O’Donovan free settled MTU Cork.

The remainder of the first half developed into an even affair and in the 24th minute MTU midfielder Liam Smith’s improvised flick to the net from Aaron O’Shea’s shot brought them back into it. By half-time they trailed by just a point, 1-6 to 1-7.

Shortly after the interval, MTU pierced the Maynooth defence again with Ring palming home at the far post from Alan Walsh’s fisted pass across goal.

In keeping with the nature of the game, Maynooth recovered immediately, though, with Conlon taking a high ball from Dermot Hanafin and burying it to the net and they were still leading by a point when Ring was sent-off. That came during a relatively short fractious period when Maynooth manager Davy Burke, received a yellow card from Cavan referee Conor Dourneen.

The numerical disadvantage didn’t seem to worry MTU though with the sides sharing the next four scores to leave Maynooth still just one ahead entering the last ten minutes. With their midfield taking almost total control, MTU outscored their opponents 1-4 to no score from there to the end with Smith scoring a superb point six minutes from time to level matters before two O’Donovan frees and a superb last point from the corner-forward off the outside of his boot from the right wing. Dylan O’Connor put a slightly flattering gloss on the scoreline with their third goal deep in injury time after Sean Cleary broke through the cover and when fouled played in his colleague with a quick free.

The tall Kildare senior forward Kirwan had been the star turn for Maynooth for much of the game but the MTU defence tightened up on him in the second half, stripping the Naas man of the ball a couple of times in dangerous positions as their dominance grew towards the end of a fruitful trip to the capital.

Scorers for MTU Cork: R O’Donovan (0-10, 4 frees, 1 45), L Smith (1-1), P Ring, D O’Connor (1-0 each), E O’Connor, A O’Shea, A Walsh (0-1 each).

Scorers for Maynooth University: D Kirwan (0-6, 3 frees), D Conlon (1-1), R O Giolláin (1-0), S O’Sullivan (0-2, 2 frees), D Hanafin (0-2).

MTU CORK: K Twomey (Kilshannig, Cork); S Andrews (Shamrocks, Cork), S Meehan (Kiskeam, Cork), T Walsh (Kanturk, Cork); R Maguire (Castlehaven, Cork), P Ring (Aghabullogue, Cork), E O’Connor (Na Gaeil, Kerry); L Smith (Glenveigh/Glencar, Kerry), D Linehan (Castlemagner, Cork); A O’Shea (Listry, Kerry), J Cahalane (Castlehaven, Cork), D O’Connor (Boherbue, Cork); R O’Donovan (Barryroe, Cork), E O’Hanlon (Kilshannig, Cork), A Walsh (Kanturk, Cork).

Subs: S Cleary (Laune Rangers, Kerry) for O’Shea (45), D Cronin (Gneeveguilla, Kerry) for T Walsh (50).

Maynooth University: C Burke (Clane, Kildare); C McCarrick (Dunshaughlin, Meath), C Walsh (Oran, Roscommon), A Brazil (Shannonbridge, Offaly); K Dwyer (Sarsfields, Kildare), T Moran (Dunlavin, Wicklow), P McDermott (Naas, Kildare); D Lyons (St James, Wexford), D Hanafin (Naas, Kildare); D Kavanagh (Rhodes, Offaly), D Walsh (Oran, Roscommon), F Ó Giolláin (Maynooth, Kildare); D Kirwan (Naas, Kildare), S O’Sullivan (Clane, Kildare), D Conlon (Geevagh, Sligo).

Subs: R Burke (Caragh, Kildare) for Dwyer (18), Ruairi Kinsella (Dunshaughlin, Meath) for D Walsh (47), Luke Killian (Sallins, Kildare) for O Giolláin (47).

Referee: C Dourneen(Cavan).