29-01-2013
D.C.U. (Dublin)
1-14
U.L. (Limerick)
0-08
Under slippery
underfoot conditions and with a swirling wind making it difficult for both teams
to play against, a star studded D.C.U. team justified their favourites tag with
a comfortable win over the home side U.L. in this preliminary round game of the
2013 Irish Daily Mail HE Sigerson Cup.
The visitors, who
could count in their ranks inter county stars such as 2012 Donegal All Ireland
winning captain Michael Murphy, the Dublin trio of Paul Flynn, James McCarthy and
Philly Ryan and Longford’s Michael Quinn, stamped their authority from the
outset, and playing with the aid of a very strong wind, they had built up a 0-7
to 0-3 half time lead.
Credit to the home
side however for battling away against the inclement conditions in the first
half and in particular after finding themselves 0-5 to 0-0 behind after 20
minutes after D.C.U. scores from Philly Ryan(2), Michael Quinn and a brace of
frees by Michael Murphy.
Driven on by the Brian
McGuire(Kerry), David Nib lock (Cork), Paul Conroy(Galway) and Alan
Moloney(Tipperary), U.L. began to fight their way back in to the game and had
reduced the deficit to 0-5 to 0-2 by the 27th minute after points
from play by both Conroy and Moloney.
U.L had also introduced
Dr Crokes and Kerry’s Fionn Fitzgerald at this juncture and he was helping to
shore up their full back line somewhat.
D.C.U. extended their lead once more with quick fire scores in the 30th
and 31st minutes from Quinn and a further free from Murphy. Murphy’s accuracy and skill from dead balls
was a significant asset to the visitors in such testing conditions.
However, U.L.
responded once more with a further point from play in injury time at the end of
the first half from full forward Paul Whyte (Waterford) and the teams retreated
to the heat of the dressing rooms on a scoreline of 0-7 to 0-3.
U.L. coach Declan O’Keeffe
would have hoped that his half time speech and the benefit of the strong wind
would lift his team at the start of the second half but instead it was the visitors
who kicked on and had extended their lead to 0-11 to 0-4 by the 41st
minute with scores from Murphy(2), Dean Rock and Paul Flynn. These scores sandwiched a beautiful score
from play by U.L.’s full forward Paul Whyte(Waterford) who was starting to
cause the visitor’s full back line some problems.
And they had a
glorious goal chance to reduce the deficit even further in the 43rd
minute but Paul Conroy’s goal bound effort was half blocked by a D.C.U. defender
and it whizzed over the bar. And the
game was put to bed 3 minutes later when a quick fire move by the visitors resulted
in Flynn playing a high ball in to the square and Dean Rock rose above keeper
and defender to fist to the net leaving the score 1-11 to 0-5.
Points were traded by
D.C.U.’s Philly Ryan and Fiontan O’Curraoin(Galway) and U.L.’s Whyte(2) and sub Denis Keoghane(Cork) before
U.L. had one last goal chance. However,
sub Barry John Walsh’s(Kerry) piledriver was expertly saved by keeper Conor
Boyle and the subsequent follow up was fisted wide.
There was time for
D.C.U to tag on one final point through Philly Ryan again before referee Conor
Lane blew his full time whistle with D.C.U. running out comfortable winners on
a scoreline of 1-14 to 0-8.
The winners were best
served on the day by the industry of Paul Flynn at centre forward, the accuracy
of Michael Murphy from placed balls and the four points from play by the
livewire corner forward Philly Ryan. U.L.
were best served by Brian McGuire, Paul Conroy, Alan Moloney and full forward
Paul Whyte who was a constant outlet for his teammates, particularly in the
second half.
Scorers:
D.C.U.: Paul Flynn (1 pt), Michael Murphy (5 pts, 4
frees), Michael Quinn (2 pts), Dean Rock (1 gl, 1 pt), Philly Ryan (4 pts),
Fiontan O’Curraoin (1 pt)
U.L.: Paul Conroy (2 pts), Alan Moloney (1 pt), Paul Whyte (4 pts), Denis
Keohane (1 pt)
Star Man: Paul Flynn, D.C.U.
One to Watch: Paul Whyte, U. L.
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