Dubs shine for UCD in Sigerson win

Thu, 31st January 2019

Defending champions UCD cruised to a 17-point, 3-14 to 0-6, victory over DIT in Wednesday night's Sigerson Cup at Billings Park, Belfield.

Late goals from Dublin senior Con O'Callaghan and Luke Fortune saw UCD run out very comfortable victors after they had held a 1-7 to 0-3 interval lead.

Con finished with a personal tally of 1-2 while UCD midfielder, former Dublin U21 Darren Gavin (2017), played an influential role alongside Mayo's Stephen Coen in the engine room, for the hosts throughout including in the lead-up to O'Callaghan's 55th minute goal.

The towering Gavin's injection of pace into a UCD attack prised open the heart of the DIT defence and Con coolly slotted away the finish.

Laois senior Evan O'Carroll scored a fine individual goal for UCD in the 14th minute to see his side take control of the game after DIT had held their own in the early exchanges.

Dublin U20 of last year, Tom Keane, kicked two excellent first-half points for DIT while Oisín Lynch, a member of Dublin's O'Byrne Cup panel this year, slotted their other first-half score.

Dublin senior Brian Howard played primarily a defensive role for DIT who despite some encouraging signs in the opening 15 minutes faded away as the contest progressed.

Kilmacud Crokes duo of Cillian O'Shea and Cian O'Connor formed part of a solid UCD half-back line alongside the impressive Liam Silke (Corofin, Galway) who kicked three points from play in a dynamic showing.

UCD now advance to face DCU in their quarter-final.

SCORERS - UCD: E O’Carroll 1-4 (0-4f), C O’Callaghan 1-2, L Fortune 1-0, L Silke 0-3, B McGinn 0-2, D Gavin, S Coen, C McCarthy 0-1 each. DIT: T Keane 0-2, R O’Brien, J Conlon, O Lynch, K O’Gara 0-1 each.

UCD: T O’Brien; M O’Connor, M Dempsey, B Byrne; L Silke, C O’Connor, C O’Shea; D Gavin, S Coen; C Meyler, C McCarthy, P Healy; C O’Callaghan, E O’Carroll, B McGinn. Subs: L Fortune for Healy (20), F Clifford for Meyler (41), B O Seanachain for McGinn (47), M Breen for O’Carroll (54), D Kennedy for O’Connor (58).

DIT: M Jackson; S McMenamin, B Power, J Mccosker; A McGowan, R O’Brien, D Toner; S Hurley, S Flanagan; B Howard, R O’Toole, C Pearson; J Conlon, O Lynch, T Keane. Subs: L Loughlin for Pearson (37), K O’Gara for Flanagan (42), C Lennon for Power (49), F Maguire for Lynch, S Tully for O’Toole (both 54), L Hughes for Hurley (58).

REF: C Reilly (Meath).