Sigerson Cup: holders up ante in second half
February 20, 2015
UCC's Conor Cox with Thomas Featherston of IT Carlow.
©INPHO/Donall Farmer.
UCC 2-12
IT Carlow 0-8
UCC remain on course for back-to-back Sigerson Cups after second half goals from Luke Connolly and Thomas Hickey propelled them to a comfortable victory over first-time semi-finalists IT Carlow at the Mardyke.
Trailing by 0-5 to 0-6 at the break, Billy Morgan's charges turned on the style after the restart to set up a mouth-watering final against DCU tomorrow.
Despite entering the game as the hottest of favourites, UCC didn't have things their own way against the plucky visitors for whom Brendan Murphy was outstanding. With Kerry's Conor Cox to the fore, the holders opened up an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead, but Carlow rallied with scores from Liam Boland and Kevin Ryan to move ahead, 0-5 to 0-3.
UCC levelled through David Harrington and Cox's third point before Barry McHugh's free gave the underdogs the slenderest of half-time leads.
But that was as good as it got for Carlow as Connolly's goal in the 38th minute turned the tide decisively in the home side's favour. Hickey rounded goalkeeper Shane Murphy to slot home the second goal as Cox finished the contest with 0-7 to his name.
UCC - M Martin; F McNamara, J McGuire, P O'Connor; C Dorman, D Culhane (0-1), T Clancy; S Kiely, G O'Sullivan; S Keane (0-1), L Connolly (1-0), B O'Driscoll; T Hickey (1-1, 0-1f), D Harrington (0-2), C Cox (0-7, 3f). Subs: A O'Donovan for C Dorman, C Horgan for D Harrington, R Murphy for G O'Sullivan, A Spillane for S Keane, K Davis for L Connolly, E O Conchuir for S Kiely.
IT Carlow - S Murphy (0-1f); T O'Connell, C Lawlor, D Smyth; E Lynch, T Featherston, E Walsh; W Young, M Sherry; K Ryan (0-1), A Dever, A Forde (0-1); L Boland (0-2, 1f), B Murphy (0-1), B McHugh (0-2, 1f, 1'45). Subs: M Mangan for A Dever, C Conroy for B McHugh, T Shiel for L Boland, K Mulvany for B Murphy.
Referee - D O'Mahoney.
Youtube credit: HE GAA
