Limerick hurling stars impress as UL defeat DCU in Division 1 League final

“NICE way to prepare ourselves for the Fitzgibbon. The first quarter gave us a decent lead and, while they came back at us a few times after that, we were always able to keep our distance,” was the reaction of Limerick senior hurling star Adam English to University of Limerick's 0-25 to 0-15 victory over Dublin City University in the Higher Education Division One Hurling League final at ULs Maguire Field on Thursday evening.

Although the rain kept away during the game itself, it had bucketed down in the hours leading up to it and the soft conditions made it difficult for both sides to find fluency in their play.

However, the presence of fellow Limerick panellists, Evan O'Leary, Colin Coughlan, Cathal O'Neill, Aidan O'Connor and Paddy O'Donovan in the starting line-up gave the home side the edge early on and they used it to good effect to power into a nine-point lead before their opponents were able to find a response.

It wasn't until the final quarter that DCU were able to string a run of scores together, the last five of which came from the stick of second-half subtitute Cillian Dunne and all after Man-of-the-Match O'Neill pulled up clutching his hamstring.

Although Cathal Beirne replied to Gearóid O'Connor's opening point for UL, the hosts quickly got down to business as their central spine of Coughlan, Brian O'Sullivan, English and O'Neill began to hoover up the primary possession and feed the finishers in front of them.

Finding the spaces to shoot, English, O'Connor, with a free, Jack Leahy and Aidan O'Connor fired over points to have the home side four ahead inside eight minutes and, with their rearguard crowding DCU out of any meaningful possession close to the posts, O' Neill and Paddy O'Donovan extended the advantage to six by the quarter mark.

Joe Flanagan's pointed free for DCU broke the sequence, but UL were still running through the gears as the replied through an O'Neill point, one from a free by Tipperary's Gearóid O'Connor's and Aidan O'Connor.

After Cian Boran replied with a DCU point, O'Neill and Cork's Leahy tacked on another score. The tempo dropped coming up to the break and, after sending two chances wide, DCU found their range as Flanagan's pointed free and one from play from Beirne narrowed the margin to 0-12 to 0-5 as the sides made for the dressing-rooms.

Flanagan's pointed '65' opened the second-half scoring and Boran brought the gap back to six after answering Gearóid O'Connor's free. However, the rally was nipped in the bud when O'Neill, English and Leahy all found the target with further points.

Beirne and James Carroll pulled a pair of points back but, when they were met by Diarmuid Hanniffy and O'Neill, the clock was running down to leave DCU's hopes resting on finding a goal that they had never threatened to notch up until then.

O'Neill's injury did upset UL's composure and opened up DCU points for Billy Reid and sub Cillian Dunne, from a free, and from play before O'Connor struck twice from distance inside a minute.

Dunne pulled one back going into added time only to be met by a flurry of points from English, Maidhc Fitzpatrick and O'Connor's free.

UL added further scores before full-time from Aidan O'Connor and Seán Rynne to close out an impressive victory.

Roll on the Fitzgibbon Cup!

SCORERS: UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: Gearóid O'Connor 0-7 (4 frees), Cathal O'Neill 0-5, Adam English, Aidan O'Connor, Jack Leahy 0-3 each, Paddy O'Donovan, Diarmuid Hanniffy, Maidhc Fitzpatrick, Seán Rynne 0-1 each; DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY: Cillian Dunne 0-5 (2 frees), Cathal Beirne 0-3, Jack Flanagan (2 frees, 1 '65') 0-3, Cian Boran 0-2, James Carroll, Billy Reid 0-1 each.

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: Cian Broderick (Clarecastle, Clare); Evan O'Leary (Ahane, Limerick); John Conneally (Clooney-Quin, Clare), Aaron Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs, Tipperary); Michael Corcoran, Silvermines, Tipperary), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick), Colm O'Meara (Clonlara, Clare); Brian O'Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork), Adam English (Doon, Limerick); Gearóid O'Connor (Moyne-Templetouhy, Tipperary), Cathal O'Neill (Crecora, Limerick), Seán O'Hanlon (Turloughmore, Galway); Jack Leahy (Dungourney, Cork), Aidan O'Connor (Ballybrown, Limerick), Paddy O'Donovan (Effin, Limerick). SUBS: Diarmuid Hannify (Oranmore-Maree, Galway) for Seán O'Hanlon (half-time), Maidhc Fitzpatrick (Drom-Inch, Tipperary) for Aaron Morgan (half-time), Killian Doyle (Emeralds, Kilkenny) for Michael Corcoran (44 minutes), Ian Byrne (Glenmore, Kilkenny) for Paddy O'Donovan (50 minutes), Seán Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare) for Cathal O'Neill (injured, 52 minutes).

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY: Cian Byrne (Saint Mary's Rosslare, Wexford); Pádraig Lennon (Carrickshock, Kilkenny), Darragh Keogh (Cloughbawn, Wexford), Ivan Bolger (Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny); Paddy Langton (Young Irelands, Kilkenny), Pádraig Moylan (Dicksboro, Kilkenny), Billy Reid (Glenmore, Kilkenny); Seán Gallagher (Naomh Barróg, Dublin), Dan O'Meara (Maynooth, Kildare); Cathal Beirne (Glenmore, Kilkenny), Joe Flanagan (Naomh Barróg, Dublin), Conor Kehoe (Saint Mullins, Carlow); Sam Byrne (Black and Whites, Kilkenny), Cian Boran (Naas, Kildare), Darragh Carley (Glynn-Barntown, Wexford). SUBS: James Carroll (Dicksboro, Kilkenny) for Joe Flanagan (40 minutes), Cillian Dunne (Clogh-Ballacolla, Laois) for Dan O'Meara (45 minutes), Bill Hughes (Bennettsbridge, Kilkenny) for Ivan Bolger (52 minutes).

REFEREE: Ciarán O'Regan (Ballyhea, Cork).