UL head straight to Fitzgibbon Cup semis after easy Limerick derby victory over Mary I

One of the main talking points from the game was those who did not feature. UL were without Colin Coughlan, Adam English, Paddy O'Donovan and Aidan O'Connor while Adam Hogan, Shane Meehan, Fionn McDonagh and Shane O'Brien were all absent for Mary Immaculate College.

TIPP-TOP: Tipperary native Gearoid O'Connor was top scorer for UL with six points in their Fitzgibbon Cup group stage victory over Mary Immaculate College. Pic: Brendan Moran, Sportsfile

Fitzgibbon Cup: University of Limerick 0-23 Mary Immaculate College 0-15 

The University of Limerick eased directly into the Fitzgibbon Cup semi-finals, when exacting a small amount of revenge against Mary Immaculate College.

In what was the final group game for both sides, this cross-city clash between the two Limerick third-level sides was also a repeat of last February’s final.

UL, thanks to their perfect record to date, are into the last four, while Jamie Wall’s Mary Immaculate will have to contend for a quarter-final against a side from Group Three.

The game was far from a Fitzgibbon feast of hurling as the challenging breeze made for inaccurate shooting and misjudged deliveries. The talking points were merely who missed out.

UL lined out without captain Colin Coughlan as well as his inter-county teammates Adam English, Paddy O’Donovan and Aidan O’Connor. The hosts had to do without Clare duo Adam Hogan and Shane Meehan while Fionn McDonagh and match winner in round two, Shane O’Brien, were also just spectators.

That said the arsenal still at the disposal of Brian Ryan and selectors Shane McGrath and Ger Hegarty proved too much for a disappointing Mary I side.

A wind assisted UL let 0-14 to 0-6 at the interval with the ever-elusive Jack Leahy of Cork, Tipperary’s Gearoid O’Connor and Patrick Crotty of Clare among the scorers. They would register eight wides during the thirty minutes as Mark Fitzgerald expertly manned the defensive quarters.

UL registered twenty points from play over the hour while Mary I struggled without Meehan and O’Brien from placed balls. They had four different men stand over them during the contest, something which will need to be ironed out during the contest.

There was seemingly a quick answer to most Mary I scores, though Oisin O’Farrell’s neat hands were to be admired as he was joined on the scoresheet by wing-back Cian Scully.

There were hints of a comeback but the champions couldn’t muster together a run that was to overly worry UL. Scores from O’Farrell, Jamie Ryan and Declan McLaughlin helped them get no closer than six points.

At the other end, Darragh Conway pulled off a trio of saves to keep the contest alive – the Kerry native denying sub Conor Hanley Clarke from point blank range down the stretch.

Late scores from O’Connor, who netted for Tipperary at the weekend, as well as Diarmuid Hanniffy and Sean O’Hanlon saw them ease to victory.

The sides shared 25 wides (13 for Mary I) during the clash, with it failing to really get near the levels of excitement, physicality or drama that we get much later in the contest.

Scorers for University of Limerick: G O’Connor 0-6 (0-3f); J Leahy, P Crotty 0-4; S O’Hanlon 0-3; D Hanniffy 0-2; B O'Sullivan, S Rynne, C O’Meara, M Fitzgerald 0-1 each 

Scorers for Mary Immaculate College: C Scully 0-5 (0-4f); O O'Farrell 0-4 (0-2f); J Ryan, D McLaughlin, D Cahill (free), R Power, R O'Connor, J Quilty (free) 0-1 each.

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: D Fahy (Ardrahan, Galway); E O’Leary (Ahane, Limerick), J Conneally (Clooney Quin, Clare), C Smyth (Midleton, Cork); K Doyle (Emeralds, Kilkenny), M Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford); M Corcoran (Silvermines, Tipperary); B O’Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork), S Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare); G O’Connor (Moyne Templetuohy, Tipperary), C O’Meara (Clonlara, Clare), P Crotty (Scariff, Clare); J Leahy (Dungourney, Cork), S O'Hanlon (Turloughmore, Galway), D Hanniffy (Oranmore Maree, Galway) 

Subs: A Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs, Tipperary) for Smyth (inj half-time), C Hanley Clarke (Kilmallock, Limerick) for Corcoran (39 minutes), Sam Williams (Bruree, Limerick) for Fitzgerald (53-56 minutes) and Keelan Hartigan for O'Connor (56 minutes), 

MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE: D Conway (Lixnaw, Kerry); W Dore (Dromin-Athlacca, Limerick), E Lawless (Athenry, Galway), V Harrington (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick); C Scully (Dromin-Athlacca, Limerick), J Quilty (Blackrock, Limerick), R Power (Ballygunner, Waterford); R O’Connor (Feakle, Clare), C Hennessy (Nenagh Eire Og, Tipperary); E Craddock (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary), P Finn (Bruff, Limerick), J Ryan (O'Loughlin Gaels, Kilkenny); O O'Farrell (ABK Desmonds, Limerick), D McLaughlin (Portumna, Galway), D Cahill (Corofin, Clare).

Subs: D Whelan (Turloughmore, Galway) for Finn (Half-Time), J Daly (Croom, Limerick) for Craddock (47), M Rossengrove (Beagh, Galway) for Hennessy (53, injury).

REFEREE: E Stapleton (Doon, Limerick)