NUI Maynooth 2-11
UCC 2-8

NUI Maynooth withstood a UCC final comeback to earn a place in tomorrow's Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Cup final.

The Leinster college were without their jerseys after the trip down the M6 and lined out in the Kildare jersey for today's semi-final against holders UCC. But that didn't seem to upset their concentration as they grabbed the first two points of the game courtesy of Sean Hurley and Paul Cahillane.

UCC responded brilliantly with a Mark Collins goal to take the lead and when Stephen O'Brien pointed, the Cork side were two points clear.

Maynooth coolly hit back with three points on the trot to retake the lead. Michael Newman showed his clinical finishing for the first time for the day with two points while David Quinn was also on target.

Barry O'Driscoll for UCC and Newman exchanged points as Maynooth held a slender 0-6 to 1-2 interval lead.

There was little to separate the sides in the first 30 minutes but Maynooth made the crucial push early in the second half as they rattled off 2-2 to stun UCC. Quinn and Newman tore the Cork side's defence to shreds with a goal a piece and there were eight points between the sides with ten minutes played, 2-8 to 1-3.

UCC dug deep and responded with a goal of their own from O'Brien within seconds of Quinn's major for Maynooth. They followed up with two points and all of a sudden there was just a goal between the sides.

Maynooth were under the cosh at this point and scores from Mark Collins and Paul Geaney left just a point between the sides with just five minutes remaining.

UCC searched desperately for an equaliser but Maynooth broke as Cahillane grabbed a vital point and Newman's '45 deep into added time clinched the win for Maynooth.

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