UL Cruise to Back to Back Irish Examiner O'Connor Cups

  • Mar 23,2015

UL Cruise to Back to Back Irish Examiner O’Connor Cups

UL 3-16
DCU 0-9

UL made it back-to-back titles in the Irish Examiner O’Connor Cup as they finished 16-point winners over DCU in the final at Cork IT.

Leading by six points at half-time after a strong second quarter, the reigning champions pushed on thanks to two Áine Tighe goals early in the second period and from there there wouldn’t be any denying them.

It was a sparkling all-round performance, with Jennifer Grant and Lorraine Scanlon the driving forces at midfield while captain and player of the game Niamh O’Dea conducting the attack from centre-forward.

DCU’s exertions in beating UCC in Friday’s semi-final looked to have counted against them as UL opened up an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead, Roisín Leonard with two, but then Carol Hegarty, Sarah Rowe and Lorraine O’Shea all pointed to tie matters by the end of the first quarter.

With their next attack, however, UL won a penalty after a DCU defender handled on the ground following Aisling Tarpey’s save from Caroline McCarthy and Leonard stroked home from the spot.

Leonard and McCarthy added points and UL would lead from there, with 1-9 to 0-6 the half-time score. Anna Galvin added the first point upon the resumption to stretch the lead, but DCU’s Bríd O’Sullivan gave notice that they wouldn’t be lying down as she drew a save from Edel Murphy.

However, at the other end, Tighe struck on 36 for a brilliant goal, her shot arrowing to the top corner, and though Rowe replied for DCU, Tighe raised another green flag on 41, side-stepping Tarpey and netting after O’Dea’s shot had fallen to her.

That made it 3-10 to 0-7 and though Rowe again had a DCU response, they would score just once more after that. In contrast, UL were firmly in their groove by now and there were points from O’Dea, sub Claire O’Sullivan, Leonard and Aileen Wall as they continued to augment their tally.

Rowe had the final score of the game, but it was UL’s day, and season.

Scorers for UL: Á Tighe 2-1, R Leonard 1-4 (0-2f), N O’Dea 0-3f, A Wall, C O’Sullivan 0-2 each, A Galvin, C McCarthy, L Scanlon, J White 0-1 each.
Scorers for DCU: S Rowe 0-4 (0-1f), C Hegarty, L O’Shea 0-2 each, B O’Sullivan 0-1.

UL: Edel Murphy (Kerry); S Condon (Tipperary), L Ryan (Clare), B McManus (Cork); C Cooney (Galway), N Richardson (Limerick), J White (Cork); L Scanlon (Kerry), J Grant (Tipperary); A Wall (Waterford), A Galvin (Kerry), A Tighe (Leitrim); C McCarthy (Kerry), N O’Dea (Clare), R Leonard (Galway).
Subs: C O’Sullivan (Kerry) for McCarthy (40), E Buckley (Tipperary) for Cooney (45), A Considine (Clare) for Condon (49), S Everard (Tipperary) for Leonard (52), Elaine Murphy (Mayo) for Edel Murphy (53).

DCU: A Tarpey (Mayo); A Bell (Mayo), L Caffrey (Dublin), S Greene (Cavan); L Collins (Dublin), D Murphy (Dublin), K Murray (Dublin); C McManamon (Mayo), L O’Shea (Tipperary); B O’Sullivan (Cork), L McEnaney (Monaghan), S Woods (Dublin); C Hegarty (Mayo), L Peat (Dublin), S Rowe (Mayo).
Subs: E Rutledge (Dublin) for Hegarty (37), A O’Reilly (Dublin) for McManamon (47), L Fleming (Roscommon) for O’Sullivan (52), G O’Loughlin (Sligo) for Collins (56).

Referee: J Niland (Sligo).