Last gasp Rudden goal secures Giles Cup for UCD

AIG Giles Cup final

UCD 2-7

DCU Dóchas Éireann (2) 1-9

By Daire Walsh

Karrie Rudden was the match winner for UCD at the DCU Sportsgrounds on Saturday as her stoppage-time goal handed the south Dublin college a dramatic victory over county rivals DCU Dóchas Éireann (2) in a tense AIG Giles Cup final.

UCD were aiming to make amends for a defeat to MIC Limerick in last year’s Giles Cup showpiece at Queen’s University in Belfast and while it was an initially cagey start to the proceedings in this all-Dublin affair, they eventually got the ball rolling when Aoibhin McCormack and Westmeath attacker Meadbh Monaghan knocked over quickfire scores.

The Students were getting their hands on a lot of possession during the opening quarter and while midfielder Beibhinn McDonald got DCU off the mark with a fine solo point on eight minutes, the lively Monaghan doubled her account in fine style at the opposition end.

DCU were keeping themselves firmly in the reckoning, however, and edged in front for the first time when centre-forward Siun McGovern fired a low penalty beyond the reach of opposition netminder Anna Dunlea in the 19th minute.

UCD wing-forward Ciara Crowley was desperately unfortunate to see a goal-bound strike crashing off the underside of the crossbar moments later and her side fell further behind when Longford’s Lauren McGuire kicked a brace of points for their opponents.

Although UCD restored parity when Monaghan, Rudden and Kate Murray kicked unanswered scores, McGovern subsequently split the posts to ensure DCU brought a slender 1-4 to 0-6 buffer into the break.

A third point from McGuire helped DCU to create additional daylight on the resumption, but UCD suddenly moved back into the ascendancy when a speculative effort from distance by Lauren Shanagher was knocked onto the woodwork before dropping into the net.

Kerrie Anne Walsh added to this major with a point on 41 minutes, but despite this set-back, DCU kept their composure and swung the pendulum back in their favour. Thanks to successive points from McGovern, Orlaith Byrne, Kelly O’Neill and the aforementioned McDonald, the northside college were on the brink of securing a second title at this grade.

Yet UCD persisted with their challenge and after Monaghan had a 62nd minute shot turned away, Rudden was on hand to fire home the rebound for a last-gasp winning score.

Scorers – UCD: K Rudden 1-1, L Shanagher 1-0, M Monaghan 0-3 (2f), A McCormack, K Murray, KA Walsh 0-1 each.

DCU Dóchas Éireann: S McGovern 1-2 (1-0 pen), L McGuire 0-3 (1f), B McDonald 0-2, K O’Neill (f), O Byrne 0-1 each.

UCD: A Dunlea; A Irhue, K McCaffrey, A McCormack; E Reape, K Murray, L Murtagh, S Mulroy, A Madden; L Dunne, L Shanagher, C Crowley, K Rudden, M Monaghan, KA Walsh. Subs: L O’Connor for Walsh (45), L Bourke for Crowley (49), L White for Dunne (55), EJ McKeon for Reape (61).

DCU Dóchas Eireann: N Barnes; L Ryan, L Devanney, A Mernagh; E Kendrick, A Fitzpatrick, N Cullen; A O’Connell, B McDonald; O Byrne, S McGovern, A Keegan; L McGuire, K O’Neill, M O’Loughlin. Subs: Aishling Fitzpatrick for Alana Fitzpatrick, A McCarthy for McGovern (both 45).

Referee: Gavin Finnegan (Down).