THE ELECTRIC IRELAND Sigerson Cup campaign that began for UCC with defeat to UL over a month ago will climax with a rematch between the same two teams.
Yet exactly which outfit has pulled off the more impressive achievement by reaching the third level final at the SETU Waterford Arena is hard to say.
Take UCC for starters; from their five games in the competition they lost one of them and, quite remarkably, were level at full-time in two of the other matches.
At several points throughout the campaign they have looked a busted flush, a spent docket but, somehow, here they are, the survivors of two-penalty shoot-outs and that early defeat to UL.
Cork senior Cathail O’Mahony has been central to their revival, coming off the bench and striking 0-4 in their Round 3 win over Queens and then striking 1-3 against St Mary’s in the quarter-finals. Those were the two games that went to penalties and former All-Ireland U20 winner O’Mahony converted from the spot in each of those encounters.
O’Mahony’s six-point haul was vital later in the semi-final defeat of TU Dublin but, typically, that was a narrow win too.
UCC’s two Dylans, goalkeeper Dylan Foley and attacker Dylan Geaney, have played important roles along the way too as has Nemo Rangers man Mark Cronin, another former U20 star for Cork.
A year on from an agonising final defeat to NUI Galway, UL deserve huge credit too for navigating their way back to the decider.
They also had to overcome an early defeat in the competition, losing a high-scoring encounter against TU Dublin back at the Round 2A stage.
Since then they have taken down SETU Carlow, gained revenge on University of Galway (former NUI Galway) and beaten many people’s tournament favourites DCU in the last four. Across those three games they have hit the net eight times so UCC have been forewarned as to their goal threat.
UL’s return to the final is all the more impressive given the loss of reigning Footballer of the Year David Clifford and Cork’s Sean Powter, to name just two, from the group that contested last year’s final.
Leitrim’s Paul Keaney has been terrific in attack for them while Clare duo Ciaran Downes and Emmett McMahon each carry their own distinct scoring threat. Mayo’s Eoghan McLaughlin is best known for his defensive excellence but his goal against DCU in the semi-final, set up by Downes, was a thing of beauty.
To make up for last year’s final defeat, and to claim a first ever Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup title, UL will need all of those big guns firing again.
Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup final
UCC v UL, SETU Waterford Arena
Wednesday, 15 February, KO 7.30pm
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What if the corner backs are cynically wasting time passing between themselves – will they be getting black cards too? And if Spillane counts too many hand passes on the Sunday game will there be more sanctions?
Maybe the offending player should hop on their bad leg for 2 minutes or something? That would liven it up!!
Or maybe the GAA should let teams do what they do best and commit everything they have to winning and stop pandering to certain commentators.
Leon — I’d have to disagree with you. The amount of cynical fouling, play-acting, and lack of respect for refs and officials has been doing my head in for the past few years. I think the ‘professional foul’ in particular needs to be addressed. If one team needs a goal to win or draw, for instance, the other team pulls them down on the edge of the square and takes one (a yellow card) for the team. It shouldn’t be like that.
Should they let them have a chance to win or draw then?? Nonsense.
I would love to get rid of the play acting and have a lot more respect for officials and i agree with you there. But this is just trying to “improve” (see increase scores) the game to please certain pundits who spout the same rhetoric week in week out with no constructive input.
The Dublin v Donegal semi-final a few years ago was one of the most fascinating games I’d ever seen because of the tactics, intensity and strategy. Not every game needs 60 yd kick passes and 20 points to be entertaining.
@Leon
You seem to be incapable of disagreeing politely.
Quickly turning into a non contact sport ,with all the rule changes & diving.
What about abusing officials, is that to be condoned?
Dreadful suggestion. The problem is the standard of refereeing. Totally different rules on Saturday evening in a club game than you get on Sunday in an intercounty championship game.
Not great for the small clubs who mightn’t have big panels at their disposal either.
If they’re so insistent on bringing in some sort of rule as a solution to the fouling (rather than addressing the real issue of refereeing), why don’t they try the sin bin exactly the way it’s used in rugby. It works very well.
Sin bin would definitely be good. I think this black card is also worth a go though. Notwithstanding refereeing issues; something does have to change in my opinion. If a team gets 7 or 8 points ahead in the second half they can see the game out by faking injury and cynical fouling. It’s crap to watch.
And how many games have you refereed Cormac ?
This years championship should be good craic … FFS. Change the system and bring in the Sin Bin.
It’ll probably be scrapped because of racism!!
And put diving in there too!!
they are right blackcards :-)
Replace the rte studio with the newstalk crew and we can enjoy the coverage, problem solved.
Newstalk presenters really irritating me lately. Way to far up their own ar*es & ill tell you what newstalk guys & gals ( if you read the journal that is ) you are not really that good or funny. I loved the station initially it’s not even on my saved stations in my car anymore.
Sin bin anyone? Works in rugby and ice hockey. Forget this substituting for another player. That is not a punishment
You’ll need a degree to officiate games and the public wont have a clue. Tripping abuse and cynical fouls red card. Soccer and Gaa need to catch up,manly the players
Sin bin is the only logical solution. This black card can’t work at grass roots for obvious reasons.. They seem to be determined to break What’s not broke..
On a related topic….used to be a great rule in ice hockey….not sure if it still applies. When two players go at each other….the third man in gets red carded. Result is that two guys slug away until seperated by officials. No mass brawls. Would def be worth a shot in GAA.
What about the team who gets a black card and has no substitute? Joke of a rule
Please don’t play the black card
There may be trouble ahead with all the confusion and its all of their own making. Black cards, yellow cards and red cards, why don’t they use a deck of cards cos it sounds like a game of chance. Looks as though the GAA are just putting feelers out to see the reaction from managers. Too much spin from FRC and co. They may dig a hole and bury their report.
I can see it being an absolute nonsense but great for the media of course.
Why don’t they ban them from using their hands, make the pitch smaller and get rid of those sticks on top of the cross bar. Then you’d have a sport
There are too many cynical and violent tackles. I think perhaps stricter refs rather than a new card, would do it.
Just leave the game alone ! Had one on the best inter county championships last fee years last year