UL defence holds up against Maynooth to secure Sigerson Cup semi spot

UL join UCD and Queen’s in the last four while Maynooth head to the quarter-finals.

LAST FOUR: University of Limerick’s Ciaran Downes. Pic Credit: Evan Treacy, Inpho.

Sigerson Cup Round 2A

UL 0-8 Maynooth University 0-7 

UL stumbled, rather than marched into the last four of the Sigerson Cup thanks to stout defensive resolve through the closing stages of a tense battle with Maynooth University at the Kildare college last night.

Playing with a breeze in the first half, Maynooth opened the scoring through in-form Meath forward Eoghan Frayne, and looked like they might kick on when UL were hit with a black card to corner back Caelim Keogh, with Frayne pointing the resultant free.

However, the lead never grew to more than two points, and a brace of Paul Keaney scores before half-time levelled the game and put UL in the driving seat.

Twelve minutes of the second half had expired by the time Jack McCabe got UL’s next point, levelling the game once more in reply to a 45 from Maynooth goalkeeper Cian Burke, but in a game littered with missed chances and miscues in possession, they still never led by more than two points, moving 0-8 to 0-6 clear through Paul Walsh’s second point of the game with ten minutes to play.

Maynooth had plenty of ball in the closing stages and had their chances to engineer the scoring chances they needed to take something out of the game, but one free from Darragh Kirwan was all they could muster, meaning that they go back into the quarter-finals, while UL join UCD and Queen’s in the last four.

Scorers for UL: P Keaney, P Walsh (0-2, 1f each), C McHale, B McNamara, J McCabe, G Hassett (0-1 each).

Scorers for Maynooth University: E Frayne (0-3, 2f), D Kirwan (0-2, 1f), S O’Sullivan (0-1), C Burke (0-1, 1 45).

MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY (Kildare unless stated): C Burke; T Moran (Wicklow), T McPhillips (Monaghan), R Burke; D Scahill (Westmeath), S Greene (Laois), A Brazil (Offaly); L Killian, C Walsh (Roscommon); K O’Sullivan (Westmeath), S O’Sullivan, S Leech (Westmeath); D Kirwan, E Frayne (Meath), R Kinsella (Meath).

Subs: B O’Halloran (Meath) for Leech (46), C Casey (Cavan) for S O’Sullivan (57), M Gibbons for Walsh (60), D McKinney (Donegal) for Killian (60+1).

UL: C Flaherty (Galway); C Keogh (Roscommon), M Dempsey (Kildare), C Moriarty (Kerry); D Cashman (Cork), C Glennon (Roscommon), D Walsh (Clare); C Ryan (Kerry), B McNamara (Clare); F Irwin (Mayo), P Keaney (Leitrim), D Heneghan (Roscommon); P Walsh (Kerry), C McHale Mayo), C Downes (Clare).

Subs: J McCabe (Galway) for McHale (H-T), G Hassett (Kerry ) for Keaney (40), E Riordan (Limerick) for Glennon (47), C O’Grady (Kerry) for Downes (49), S McDonnell (Cork) for Irwin (59).

Referee: C Maguire (Clare).