Champions UL advance to Defend Irish Examiner O'Connor Cup

The defending champion University of Limerick side will defend their Irish Examiner O’Connor Cup title when they meet DCU at 3:45pm tomorrow in Cork Institute of Technology. UL were made to work hard for their final berth by a dogged NUIGalway side who only trailed by 7 points to 4 at half time thanks mainly to the free taking ability of Olivia Divilly.

However, a goal early in the second half from Caroline McCarthy gave UL the boost they needed as they began to cut loose. When Niamh O’Dea popped up with a second goal for UL the match was effectively over as they now lead 2:11 to 0:05. Any doubt was removed as Áine Tighe converted another goal and McCarthy grabbed her second as UL ran out comprehensive winners by 4:11 to 0:08.

CIT will be forgiven for thinking they had already advanced to the Lynch Cup Final as they lead DCU by 5:06 to 1:07 midway through the second half as Cork senior panellists Jessica O’Shea and Emma Farmer combined brilliantly throughout. However, DCU’s Ailbhe Clancy lead by example as she began a comeback with a brilliant goal that saw DCU’s second team claim the most unlikely scoreline of 5:07 to 3:16 and they will now meet the Dublin Institute of Technology in the Lynch Cup Final.

In the Giles Cup it was more straight forward for the Athlone Institute of Technology as they ran out 3:10 to 1:12 winners against St. Pat’s Drumcondra. Despite trailing at half time the eventual winners made full use of the wind to see out the match and they now advance to meet Trinity in the decider.