TU Dublin inflict damaging Sigerson defeat on MTU Kerry 

Jordan Morris of Meath and TU Dublin. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Sigerson Cup: TU Dublin 3-21 MTU Kerry 2-10 

MTU Kerry's Sigerson Cup hopes aren't over but it remains to be seen just how much this heavy Round 2A beating has taken out of them.

What's certain is that they'll have an extra hurdle to navigate in Round 3 next week after a punishing 14-point defeat in Grangegorman.

MTU Kerry travelled with confidence and real momentum after beating TUS Midlands last week.

And an early goal from Paudie O'Leary, the first of two for the Gneeveguilla man on the evening, amounted to a great start.

But it was mostly downhill from there on with three first-half goals in response from a powerful TU Dublin side leaving the hosts in pole position and underlining their own title prospects.

TU Dublin were semi-finalists in two of the last three seasons and exited the 2025 championship on penalties.

They suggested here that they're a team on a mission with Meath star Jordan Morris, Wicklow's Conor Fee and big Naas midfielder Sean Hanifin grabbing their goals.

The real star was another Meath man, Conor McBride, who lorded it at midfield next to Hanifin, an elite display of high fielding and quality distribution that will have been picked up on by Robbie Brennan.

TU Dublin led by 3-8 to 1-8 at half-time but it was in the period immediately afterwards that they really knocked the stuffing out of MTU Kerry.

Fee pointed for TU Dublin in the 32nd minute and they turned over each of the next six kick-outs to shoot seven points in a row, opening up a 14-point deficit and all but putting the game to rest.

As it happened, when MTU Kerry did finally win a kick-out, they launched a speedy move that ended with O'Leary scoring his second goal. But they still trailed by a double digit margin against a TU Dublin side that was able to bring on players of the calibre of Monaghan's Dylan Byrne and Cavan's Darragh Lovett.

Sloppy passes, errant kick-outs and anything that resembled a handling error was heavily punished by TU Dublin who will fancy their chances in the last eight, whoever they meet.

Meanwhile, it's back to the drawing board for an MTU Kerry side that hinted at times in the first-half they could live in this sort of company.

When O'Leary netted and Darragh O'Connor sent over the first of five points from a free, they led 1-1 to 0-1.

Goals from Fee and Hanifin were sucker punches in response though Darragh Bryant and O'Connor added more points to leave just three in it after 22 minutes.

TU Dublin finished the half strongly though to surge 3-9 to 1-8 clear at the interval.

MTU Kerry still felt they were in it. They'd looked threatening every time they ran at the TU Dublin in the first-half. 

Aside from O'Leary's early goal, David Hanlon hit the post with a goal effort and Keith Evans had a shot blocked.

But when TU Dublin put a heavy press on the MTU Kerry kick-out in that 10-minute or so period after half-time and picked off point after point, there was no way back. 

Former AFL player McBride was at his best then, making a couple of huge catches which ended in Morris and McEvoy points.

Afterwards, when the TU Dublin were gathered in a circle, McBride was the man doing the talking and imploring them to push on in the competition.

TU Dublin scorers: J Morris, C Fee, S Hanifin 1-2 each; D McCartan 0-5 (1 free); S McEvoy 0-4; O Brooks 0-2 (1 free); Jamie Smith, E Brady, J Prendergast, C McBride 0-1 each.

MTU Kerry scorers: P O'Leary 2-0; D O'Connor 0-5 (4 frees); E Boyle 0-2 (tp); D Bryant 0-1, K Evans 0-1, C Horan 0-1.

TU Dublin: J Rodgers (Kildare); C Neary (Roscommon), C Brady (Cavan), E Brady (Dublin); J Smith (Dublin), C Baker (Wicklow), J Prendergast (Wicklow); C McBride (Meath), S Hanifin (Kildare); O Brooks (Dublin), C Fee (Wicklow), L Coleman (Wexford); J Morris (Meath), S McEvoy (Cavan), D McCartan (Westmeath).

Subs: S Reynolds (Louth) for Baker (14); D Byrne (Monaghan) for Brooks & D Lovett (Cavan) for Smith (42); B Casey (Dublin) for Prendergast (45); T Doran (Dublin) for Morris (55).

MTU Kerry (Kerry unless stated): C Melia (Offaly); S Brosnan, Ciaran McEnaney (Monaghan), J Nagle; O McGibney, J Foley, D O'Sullivan; E Boyle, P O'Leary; O Ferris, K Evans, C Horan; D Bryant (Offaly), D Hanlon (Cork), D O'Connor.

Subs: E Healy for McGibney (h/t); C O'Brien (Cork) for McEnaney (39); D O'Leary for Bryant (50); S McCarthy for Hanlon (57); C Holmes (Limerick) for Horan (60).

Referee: I Howley (Dublin).