DCU booked their slot into the semi-finals of the Fitzgibbon Cup tonight after dethroning champions Mary I with a 0-20 to 2-12 victory at the DCU Sportsgrounds.

Substitutes Killian Doyle and Conor Burke struck the decisive points in injury-time for the Dublin students as they moved into the competition's last four stage for the first time since 1997.

The hosts led at the half by 0-8 to 1-3 despite Mary I, whom were without Limerick star Aaron Gillane, registering a goal through Micheál O'Loughlin (1-5) and bumped their lead up to four thanks to Dublin ace Donal Burke. 

The visitors fired in their second major via an Eoghan Cahill penalty that would have the score board reading 0-16 to 2-9 with five minutes remaining and it was airtight from there until the finish.

The game was deadlocked in injury-time at 0-18 to 2-12 when Doyle, scorer of 0-3 on the night, steered the home side back in front before Dublin's Burke followed up with another to seal their college's first semi-final berth in 21 long years.

In tonight's other quarter-final, IT Carlow came from behind to see off Limerick IT by 1-19 to 0-18 at their home grounds.

The would-be winners had trailed by as many as five points when Sean Downey's goal on 26 minutes breathed some life into them and they kicked on to trim the difference down to one (0-11 to 1-7) by the interval, with David Reidy and Peter Duggan having inflicted most of the damage for the visitors. 

Riche Leahy fashioned back-to-back points to bring DJ Carey's men level on 45 minutes and they'd lead by three with five minutes to go thanks to Mark Russell's brilliant effort.

Limerick IT couldn't claw it back in the closing minutes and it suited the hosts to double their lead late on, progressing themselves towards next Tuesday night's semi-finals.

DCU - O Foley; D Mullen (0-1), E O'Donnell, A Maddock; P Foley, C Delaney (0-1), D Grey; J O'Connor (0-3), C McSweeney; J Donnelly, D Brennan, D Burke (0-8, 6f); F Whitely, R McBride (0-2), P Curran (0-1). Subs: K Doyle (0-3) for J Donnelly, C Burke (0-1) for F Whitely, P Hogan for D Grey.

Mary I - E Cahill (1-0pen); C McCullagh, D Prendergast, D Peters; D Browne, S Taylor, T O'Mahony; J Mackey, L Meade (0-1); C Guilfoyle, C Lynch (0-2), P Ryan; G Cooney (0-2), M O'Loughlin (1-5, 0-5f), B Corry (0-1). Subs: C Stapleton (0-1) for J Mackey, M Corry for B Corry.

Referee - J McGrath.

**

IT Carlow - E Rowland (0-1f); S Reck, K Hannafin, R Brown; M Redmond, J Doyle, M Harney; C Dunford, R Leahy (0-3); S Downey (1-1), M Kavanagh (0-5, 4f), C Dwyer (0-2); M Russell (0-1), J Fagan (0-3), C Dunbar (0-3, 1sl). Subs: T Nolan for M Harney, S Casey for S Downey.

Limerick IT - B O'Loughlin; J Quaid (0-1), K Bennett, J Quigley; D Byrnes (0-3, 2f), S Ryan, D Moran; D Reidy (0-4f), B O'Connor (0-2); D O'Connell (0-2), W Connors (0-1), A La Touche Cosgrave; J McCarthy, P Duggan (0-4), O Kelly (0-1). Subs: M Kavanagh for J Quaid, D Conroy for B O'Connor.

Referee - F Horgan.

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