NUIG are just 60 minutes away from ending a 30-year wait for Fitzgibbon Cup honours after this surprise extra-time semi-final victory over Limerick IT at Dangan yesterday.

NUIG 1-24
LIT 1-23
(after extra-time)

Central to the hosts' victory was the excellence of their Galway centre back John Lee who restricted his county team-mate Joe Canning to just a solitary point from play. Admittedly, the quality of ball into the Portumna dangerman - who still scored 0-13 from frees - was poor, but Lee dealt with the threat sufficiently.

Canning could still have won it, however, for the visitors in the dying seconeds, but his rasping 20-metre free flew over rather than under the bar, and NUIG held on for a famous win.

While Seamus Callanan, Willie Hyland, Nick O'Connell and James McInerney all had their moments for LIT, they couldn't begrudge NUIG their victory. Apart from Lee, Seamus Hennessy, John Conlon, Finian Coone, Barry Daly, Patrick Kelly and substitute Caimin Morey were superb for the Galway side.

The hosts made a dream start when Clare All-Ireland under 21 winner Cormac O'Donovan netted in the second minute, but Hyland's accuracy quickly brought LIT back into it. The sides were deadlocked on 1-8 to 0-11 at the break, having been level six times in the opening half.

Points from Domhall O'Donovan, David Barrett and Coone gave NUIG a great start to the second half, while at the opposite end, Canning uncharacterstically sent a 20-metre free wide. The Portumna sharpshooter redeemed himself by landing sidelines from either side, and the title favourites looked set for victory when sub Timmy Dalton goaled with six minutes remaining. But Hennessy levelled late on for NUIG to force extra-time.

The home side led by 1-21 to 1-20 at the midway stage in extra-time and they managed to keep their noses in front through further points from Shane Quinlan, Coone and Kelly to set up a final meeting with Waterford IT this afternoon.

SCORERS - NUI Galway: F Coone (0-3f), J Conlon (0-4f) 0-5 each, C O'Donovan 1-0, S Hennessy (0-1f), D O'Donovan, D Barrett, B Daly, G Kelly, C Morey 0-2 each, P Kelly, S Quinlan 0-1 each. Limerick IT: J Canning 0-13 (0-9f, 0-2 s/l, 0-1 '65), W Hyland 0-3, T Dalton 1-0, S Collins , N Quinn 0-2 each, P O'Brien, N O'Connell, B Gaffney 0-1 each.

NUI Galway - D Tuohy; D Nash, J Lee, D Connolly; P Gordon, S Hennessy, P Kelly; B Daly, D O'Donovan; D Barrett, K Keehan, C O'Donovan; G Kelly, J Conlon, F Coone. Subs: C Morey for Keehan, (37), S Quinlan for C O'Donovan (47), JP O'Connell for Kelly (56).

Limerick IT - M Ryan; C Chaplin, C Cooney, J Gunning; N O'Connell, J McInerney, R Sherlock; P O'Brien, S Collins; N Quinn, S Callanan, W Hyland; S Tobin, J Canning, B Gaffney. Subs: J O'Keeffe for Sherlock (27), T Dalton for O'Brien (36).

Ref - B Gavin (Offaly). Tweet

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