UCD 1-13
NUI Galway 2-9
Kevin O’Brien reports from Santry Avenue, Dublin
TIPPERARY FORWARD LIAM Casey scored the final two points of the game as UCD were crowned Sigerson Cup champions for the second time in three years.
Second-half goals from Sean Kelly and Adam Gallagher left underdogs NUI Galway leading by 2-8 to 1-9 heading into the final 10 minutes, but UCD were the more composed side down the home straight.
Man-of-the-match Conor McCarthy and Con O’Callaghan kicked a score apiece, before Casey fired over an equaliser and then fisted the winner when this contest seemed destined for extra-time.
McCarthy finished with an impressive tally of 1-6 for UCD and, while O’Callaghan was well-marshalled by Sligo defender Kevin McDonald for most of the opening 50 minutes, he stepped up when the game was in the melting pot late on.
UCD started with just six players who featured in last year’s shock final defeat to St Mary’s – Conor Mullally, Stephen Coen, Barry O’Sullivan, Jack Barry, McCarthy and Casey.
Dublin pair Eoin Murchan and Jack McCaffrey would have also been included in John Divilly’s defence had it not been for injury.
Appearing in their first Sigerson final in 15 years, NUIG employed former Galway U21 star Sean Kelly as a sweeper in the opening half.
That left Dublin native Conor Mullally as a spare defender to cover in front of dangerman Damien Comer, but the Galway powerhouse had 0-3 on the board by the interval and won a handful of frees that were converted.
The sides were locked at 1-5 to 0-8 at the interval, with McCarthy’s brilliant goal from 13m the highlight of the opening half.
Peter Cooke was dominant at midfield for NUIG, but they scored just twice in the 25 minutes after half-time. Fortunately, both of those scores were goals. Kelly’s 38th minute goal arrived after UCD keeper Charlie Manton fumbled a Comer point attempt that dropped short.
Kieran Molloy, who raced from Corofin’s game in Tullamore to join the action as a second-half sub, started a move that saw Adam Gallagher dispatch NUIG’s second three-pointer.
In the meantime, UCD were happy to take their scores as NUIG dropped bodies back and looked to play on the counter-attack. With the sides deadlocked in the final minutes, Casey kicked one score and fisted another to seal the victory for the Belfield boys.
Scorers for UCD – Conor McCarthy 1-6 (0-3f), Liam Casey 0-3, Brian Byrne, Evan O’Carroll, Eoin Lowry and Con O’Callaghan 0-1 each.
Scorers for NUI Galway – Adam Gallagher 1-3 (0-3f), Damien Comer 0-3, Sean Kelly 1-0, Enda Tierney 0-3 (0-1f).
UCD
1. Charlie Manton (Fethard, Tipperary)
4. Conor Mullally (Cuala, Dublin)
3. Cillian O’Shea (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin)
22. Peter Healy (St Enda’s, Antrim)
2. Luke Fortune (Cavan Gaels, Cavan)
7. Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule, Tipperary)
6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore, Mayo)
8. Barry O’Sullivan (Dingle, Kerry)
9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil, Kerry)
10. Liam Casey (Cahir, Tipperary)
11. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown, Monaghan)
13. Brian Byrne (Naas, Kildare)
20. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala, Dublin)
14. Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard, Laois)
15. Eoin Lowry (Killeshin, Laois)
Subs
25. Brian O Seanachain (Ballydonoghue, Kerry) for Fortune (ht)
26. Tom Hayes (Cootehill, Cavan) for O’Carroll (58)
NUI Galway
1. Tadgh O’Malley (Leitir Mór, Galway)
2. Stephen Brennan (Claremorris, Mayo)
3. Seán Mulkerrin (Oileán Árainn, Galway)
34. Kevin McDonnell (Castleconnor, Sligo)
7. Gerard O’Kelly Lynch (St Mary’s, Sligo)
6. Ruairí Greene (Killannin, Galway)
17. Colm Kelly (Ballyshannon, Donegal)
8. Céin D’Arcy (Caherlistrane, Galway)
9. Peter Cooke (Maigh Cuilinn, Galway)
10. Adam Gallagher (Mayo Gaels, Mayo)
11. Owen Gallagher (St Joseph’s, Glenavy, Antrim)
12. Enda Tierney (Oughterard, Galway)
13. Brian Donovan (Monaleen, Limerick)
14. Damien Comer (Annaghdown, Galway)
15. Seán Kelly (Maigh Cuilinn, Galway)
Subs
25. Ronan O’Toole (St Loman’s, Westmeath) for Kelly (ht)
5. Kieran Molloy (Corofin, Galway) for Greene (39)
27. Eoin Finnerty (Mountbellew Moylough, Galway) for Gallagher (43)
24. Ryan Forde (Annaghdown, Galway) for Donovan (46)
19. Nathan Mullen (Mullinabreena, Sligo) for D’Arcy (58)
I agree with Andy !! Delaney out !!
@Nightowl: MON, Keane and King need to go too. They don’t seem to take any responsibility for the performances and when questioned they become aggressive and belligerent. If it’s ALL the players fault, why do we need a manager in the first place?
As a League of Ireland person, I find the disregard shown towards the domestic league very frustrating. With the continued and ever increasing globalization of the English Premier League, the League of Ireland is the way forward for players to be developed.
It just strikes me as bizarre that to have a chance of playing senior international football for the Republic of Ireland, you must be playing your football *outside* of the Republic of Ireland.
Even at underage level, the signs aren’t great. At the Under-17 Euros over the summer, just one player in the Irish squad played his club football in Ireland! (In fairness to O’Neill and Keane though, they do attend League of Ireland matches semi-regularly.)
@James Clancy: The infamous magic plane.
Underage teams and management actually give reasons for optimism.
@Eamonn Duggan: Indeed. Amazing what that magic plane can do. Three weeks after leaving the League of Ireland to join a British club, an Irish player is suddenly called up to the senior international team.
Yes, the underage teams and management give reasons for optimism. The U17s were unlucky to lose to the Dutch on penalties, who went on to win the tournament and Cork City’s Colin T O’Brien doing good things there. Also, the U19s qualifying for the Elite Round of the European Championships with a game to spare, so there’s definitely hope!
I would love to see a day where at least a few players in a competitive Republic of Ireland senior starting XI play their club football in the League of Ireland. Alas, I don’t think that will ever happen.
How long can someone sit on the FAI council, should be a maximum of 10 years ( 2×5 year terms ) , fresh members will bring fresh ideas, also an age limit maybe
Bottom line is we don’t prioritize technique to the degree we need with our kids. Quote from English Championship club recruitment manager – ‘Irish kids are very physical and have great attitude, but they’re behind technically’. Wenger says technique is developed between the ages of 8-12. Our kids at that age are in school so 2 training sessions and a match every week. We don’t have enough contact hours to dramatically improve their technique at training. So what they do on their own is the key. We need to give them the tools to make the best use of their time with the ball on their own in the garden/park. Drills & programme to work on solo. Lots of kids with desire. But a 10 year old has to figure it out by himself. We are failing them. Allied to our strengths, we could be great.
@Adrian O’Farrell: I could not agree with you more. Be it soccer or GAA young players are left fend for themselves. By that I mean not all young players develop at same rate and usually the stronger more developed are kind of taken as a granted for whole group and little “johnny” is left to catch up at his own rate. This is when weaker players get left behind and tend to drop out of sports altogether in turn leaving groups short on numbers in some cases with smaller clubs.
Well said Andy. Couldn’t have said it better myself. We need a visionary running the FAI. Delaney is out on the piss at posh functions acting like a big-shot while football in this country is stuck in the dark ages.
We need to copy the model in Belgium. They are a small nation producing some of the best players on the planet on a consistent basis. Why not go out and get someone from their football association who can come in and replace Delaney as head of the FAI and shake things up and drag football in this country up with the times? At least they’d be earning that astronomical salary that Delaney is on instead of stealing a living from the association as is currently happening.
Just look at the level our rugby players are at from IRFU putting the right structures in place over the past 15 years. I would think our rugby team was at a similarly low ebb about 20yrs ago but with a smaller playing pool and less options. This is achievable if the right people lead the way.
I think everyone has blinkers on, bottom line is while all kids in every village and town in Ireland have Hurley’ in there hand from the age that the can hold one and at weekends have blitz, training, matches etc, kids in England are doing the same playing soccer, so while the hurlers are lining the Gaa’s pockets, the football players in England and the rest of Europe etc are trying to make a career for themselves and line there own. So I guess Martin and Roy can only pee with the C••k they got.
@Brian O Connell: tis all for the parish!! We don’t want no foreign sports here.
I think we should bring back Steve Staunton with more experience he might be good for the job or players like Paul McGrath, Damien duff or Robbie Keanu as manager.
@Gnb: you’re joking right?