WATCH: UL reach Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final with big win over UCD
HOLDERS UL booked their place in the last four of the Fitzgibbon Cup with ease after a 4-19 to 0-10 victory over UCD at Maguire's Fields.
A hat-trick of goals from Waterford's Mikey Kiely stole the show for a star-studded UL outfit that also had Limerick's Adam English in fine form with a scoring total of 0-4 from play.
Brian Ryan's side bossed the game from start to finish and were 0-5 to 0-1 in front when Kiely broke clear of the UCD defence and batted the sliotar into the net.
English had already got two stunning scores by that stage with Mark Rodgers, James Power and Sean Twomey also raising white flags inside 11 minutes.
Further efforts from Colin Coughlan, Twomey (2), Gearoid O'Connor and English then helped UL to a 1-10 to 0-5 half-time advantage.
The game was effectively put to bed four minutes into the second half when Rodgers squared the ball to Kiely who buried the ball to the net with a first-time finish.
English set up James Power for UL's third goal 11 minutes from time and Kiely rounded off the excellent performance with their fourth late on.
UL now play SETU Waterford in the semi-final next week. Former Limerick keeper Barry Hennessy is part of the Waterford panel.
UL Scorers: Mikey Kiely 3-0, James Power 1-2, Gearoid O'Connor 0-5 (2 frees), Adam English 0-4, Sean Twomey 0-3, Mark Rodgers, Colin Coughlan, Bryan O'Mara, Brian O'Sullivan and Conor Flaherty 0-1 each.
UCD Scorers: Donal O'Shea 0-6 (6 frees), Colum Prenderville and Liam Murphy 0-2 each.
UL: Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey-Borris, Tipperary); TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge, Galway), Mark Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford), Mike Gough (Smith O'Brien's, Clare); Killian Sampson (Shinrone, Offaly), Bryan O'Mara (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary), Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny) Brian O'Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork); Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick); Adam English (Doon, Limerick), Gearoid O'Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy, Tipperary), Sean Twomey (Courcey Rovers, Cork); Mark Rodgers (Scarifff, Clare), Michael Kiely (Abbeyside, Waterford), Jamie Power (Clonea, Waterford).
Subs: Dean Mason (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny) for Shelly (21 mins, inj), Conor Flaherty (Claregalway-Carnmore, Galway) for Coughlan (37 mins), Cian Galvin (Clarecastle, Clare) for Twomey (37 mins), Patrick Crotty (Scarriff, Clare) for Rodgers (49 mins), Padraic Dunne (The Harps, Laois) for Fitzgerald (51 mins).
UCD: Eddie Hogan (Faughs, Dublin); Iain Ó Heither (Ballinteer-St John's, Dublin), Michael Walsh (Ardrahan, Galway), Eoin Ryan (St Anne's-Rathangan, Wexford); David O'Carroll (Lisdowney, Kilkenny), Cian O'Cathasaigh (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin), Eoghan Geraghty (Oranmore-Maree, Galway); Mark Twomey (Abbeyside, Waterford), Eoin Guilfoyle (James Stephens, Kilkenny); Colum Prenderville (Graigue Ballycallan, Kilkenny), Liam O'Brien (Ballinameela, Waterford), Donal O'Shea (Salthill-Knocknacarra, Galway); James Duggan (The Harps, Laois), Dara Purcell (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin), Liam Murphy (Cuala, Dublin).
Subs: Cian Rogers (Ratoath, Meath) for O'Brien (37 mins), Darragh O'Keeffe (Ballygunner, Waterford) for Geraghty (44 mins), Killian Egan (Graigue Ballycallan, Kilkenny) for Duggan (49 mins), Eoin Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary) for Murphy (52 mins), Conor Hoban (Dunamaggin, Kilkenny) for Guilfoyle (54 mins).
REFEREE: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)