UL demolish TUS Midwest to continue perfect start 

CLASS ACT: Gearóid O'Connor of UL gets away from Jack McCullagh of TUS Midwest. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach, Sportsfile

University of Limerick 2-30 TUS Midwest 1-14 

Not much of a Limerick derby. Far more of a demolition.

Having had 20 points to spare in the opening game of their three-in-a-row Fitzgibbon Cup bid last week, UL were within a white flag of recording the same winning margin on Wednesday evening.

The back-to-back landslide victories leave the champions uncatchable at the top of Group B. As reward, they will enjoy a home quarter-final on February 7 against the runners-up from Group A (MICL, UCC, and Maynooth).

Where once UL and TUS Midwest (formerly LIT) was a derby clash that drew crowds, devilment, and entrenched bitterness, it has become desperately one-sided in the post-Covid era. 

It no longer carries any flavour of spice.

This was the third successive January where the two Limerick establishments were meeting in the group phase. UL’s aggregate winning total across the three is 64 points.

It was blindingly obvious from the early exchanges that this latest get-together was going to be another trouncing. The hosts had six white flags raised within six minutes. 

Aidan O’Connor set the standard. He stitched the opening two and assisted for the third. He had five got by the break.

Gearoid O’Connor was another whose tally swiftly shot up through the single digits. He single-handedly doubled their early total from 0-3 to 0-6.

And like his namesake from Limerick, he was selfless enough to lay possession off when a teammate had a better view of the posts. On 11 minutes, it was Limerick senior Colin Coughlan he teed up.

Gearoid O’Connor’s sixth of the half had UL 0-16 to 0-5 clear on 28 minutes. Kyle Shelly (65) and Eoghan Connolly cut the gap to nine at the short whistle. Shelly and Connolly were TUS Midwest’s only two first-half contributors. 

Connolly was their sole first half contributor from play.

If it was the two O’Connors who took centre stage in the opening period, Galway’s Sean O’Hanlon grabbed the spotlight from them at the turnaround. He added 1-4 onto his first half 0-2.

Adam English was another UL forward to find voice upon the restart. His pair came part of a seven-in-a-row to leave the scoreline reading 0-24 to 0-9 on 40 minutes.

O'Hanlon's goal on 52 minutes arrived three minutes after UL sub Ian Byrne had angled his shot into the top left corner from the 20-metre line.

It was a moment of brilliance during an otherwise mundane second half. UL were able to withdraw Aidan O’Connor, Mark Rodgers, and Colin Coughlan long before the finish.

Kian O’Kelly was the TUS goalscorer. They have to beat ATU Galway next week to book a last-eight spot.

Scorers for UL: G O’Connor (0-10, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65); S O’Hanlon (1-6); A O’Connor (0-5); I Byrne (1-0); C Coughlan, A English, P O’Donovan (0-2 each); B O’Grady, B O’Sullivan, C Galvin (0-1 each).

Scorers for TUS Midwest: K Shelly (0-8, 0-6 frees, 0-2 65s); K O’Kelly (1-0); N O’Farrell, E Connolly (0-2 each); P Donnellan, M Ryan (0-1 each).

UL (Limerick unless stated): C Hanley Clarke (Kilmallock); F O’Connor (Effin), D Lohan (Wolfe Tones, Clare), J Conneally (Clooney Quin, Clare); R Hayes (Crusheen, Clare), M Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford), C Coughlan (Ballybrown); B O’Grady (Kilteely/Dromkeen), B O’Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork); D Hanniffy (Oranmore-Maree, Galway), G O’Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy, Tipperary), S O’Hanlon (Turloughmore, Galway); M Rodgers (Scariff, Clare), A English (Doon), A O’Connor (Ballybrown).

Subs: C Galvin (Clarecastle, Clare) for Conneally (HT); P O’Donovan (Effin) for A O’Connor (35); I Byrne (Glenmore, Kilkenny) for Rodgers (40); C Flaherty (Carnmore) for Coughlan (46, inj); K Hartigan (Scariff, Clare) for Hanniffy (50).

TUS Midwest (Tipperary unless stated): E Dunphy (St Mary’s); D Casey (Granagh/Ballingarry, Limerick), P Donnellan (Broadford, Clare), T Duggan (Lorrha); S Murnane (Bruff, Limerick), G Ryan (Cappawhite), J McCullagh (Bangelstown Gaels, Carlow); E Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs), O Kavanagh (Broadford, Clare); C O’Dwyer (Clonakenny), K Shelly (Moycarkey Borris), N O’Farrell (Broadford, Clare); D Keogh (Clooney Quin, Clare), K O’Kelly (Kilruane MacDonaghs), S Kenneally (Moneygall).

Subs: J Ryan (Birr, Offaly) for Murnane (15 mins, inj); J Ryan (Drom & Inch) for Kavanagh (40); M Ryan (Murroe Boher, Limerick) for O’Dwyer, P Morrissey (Ahane, Limerick) for G Ryan (both 50).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).