DCU 1-7
DkIT 0-7

A 40th minute penalty from Eanna O Conchuir proved crucial as DCU defeated DkIT with three to spare in tonight's Sigerson Cup clash at Darver.

O Conchuir finished with a tally of 1-3 for the Dublin students, whom were forced to come from behind after Oisin McConville's side had put forth the better display during the opening 30 minutes in the difficult conditions at the Louth Centre of Excellence.

David Mannix's free opened DCU's account but it was the home side that held the lead after a low-scoring first quarter thanks to consecutive points from Longford's David McGivney, Donal Meegan and Tadhg McEneaney.

The would-be winners lost Barry Kerr to a red card shortly afterwards after appearing to stamp out at DkIT midfielder Ciaran Bellew and it continued to be smooth sailing for the Trench Cup holders in the run up to half-time with a Niall Kearns free putting them 0-4 to 0-1 ahead.

Dessie Ward reduced the gap back to two on the interval's eve before McEneaney and O Conchuir swapped the first two points of the second-half.

Conor Doherty sailed over to restore the Dundalk lads' three-point advantage but all their good work would be wiped out in an instant once O Conchuir rifled home a penalty with 20 minutes to go. Referee Cormac Reilly from Meath had awarded the spot kick after Stephen O'Brien was impeded in the square. 

Kearns and Ward traded points to keep things even but the momentum was firmly with DCU, and they made it count in the closing 15 minutes via further singles from Shane Carthy and An Ghaeltacht clubman O Conchuir (2) to open up a three-point margin heading towards the home stretch which would be enough to see them into the last eight.

DCU - E Comerford; C Boylan, F Kelly, B Kerr; D Ward (0-2), S Akram, P Durcan; S O'Brien, C McGonagle; D Reynolds, S Carthy (0-1), D O'Connor; M Brannigan, E O Conchuir (1-3, 1-0pen, 0-1f), D Mannix (0-1f). Subs: J Mealiff for C McGonagle, C Bradley for D Mannix.

DkIT - J O'Donoghue; C Meegan, C Lenehan, I Connor; E Walsh, C Daly, K Traynor; N Kearns (0-2, 1f), C Bellew; G McSorley, C Doherty (0-1), D McGivney (0-1); T McEneaney (0-2f), S Hoey, D Meegan (0-1). Subs: D Maguire for C Bellew, S Marry for S Hoey, A O'Brien for T McEneaney.

Referee - C Reilly.

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