DCU 1-14
UCD 2-08
Tomás Ó Ruanaidh
At St. Clare’s
Throw-in may have been delayed by over half an hour for this one, but it didn’t deter the home side who picked up their second win of the league and in the process, secured a place in knockout stages.
John Quinn and Dean Rock split the posts in the early exchanges before Luke Keaney pegged one back for the visitors. DCU’s defence were already well on top, hassling and harrying at every turn. Consequently, UCD registered seven wides in the opening period.
Cormac Diamond kicked a superb effort to nudge DCU 0-5 to 0-3 ahead by the 20th minute, but UCD assumed control thereafter, kicking four of the next five scores to hand them a 0-7 to 0-6 lead at the interval.
Akin to the first half, DCU stormed from the blocks with Luke Bree, a neat effort of the right, and Cathal Ellis pointing to regain the initiative for Tommy Conroy’s side.
Diamond added another from the resulting kickout to leave three between the teams.
Two well taken goals in as many minutes however, changed the complexion of the game with the industrious Lorcan Smith and Conor Downey providing the majors for UCD.
Diamond pointed to reduce the deficit before substitute Donal Smith, who played a vital part in the win, somehow managed to break through the UCD defence and finish to the net to edge DCU in front.
Keaney equalised with a ’45 and in the ensuing passage of play DCU wing-forward Shane Carthy threw himself across his own goal line to prevent a certain goal. Keaney’s resulting ‘45 dropped into the square before the ball struck the crossbar. DCU broke up the field subsequently with Dean Rock notching his third point of the contest and when Roscommon minor Smith tallied nearing the conclusion, victory was achieved.
DCU: Will Hender-Phillips; Jamie Gallagher, Eoin Culligan, Andrew Carroll; Shane McMahon, Cathal Ellis (0-1), John Callaghan; John Quinn (0-1), Luke Bree (0-1); Shane Carthy, Cormac Diamond (0-5), Gary Sweeney; Patrick Foxe (0-1), Dean Rock (0-3), Liam Donnelly: Subs used: Ronan Clabby (0-1) for Quinn; Donal Smith (1-1) for Gallagher; Conor Gibbons for Carroll
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