TU Sligo 5-11
DCU Dóchas Éireann (4) 1-11
By Daire Walsh
Deirbhile Lynch bagged an impressive personal haul of 2-3 as ATU Sligo defeated DCU Dóchas Éireann (4) in the AIG Lynch Cup decider at the DCU Sportsgrounds on Saturday.
Moynihan Cup champions in 2024, ATU Sligo enjoyed a dream start to this contest when centre-forward Lynch got on the end of a fast-moving attack to fire home a goal with just 15 seconds gone on the clock. This score was immediately supplemented by a well-taken point from Monaghan’s Rebecca Higgins, before Shauna Hagan and Colleen Hughes raised white flags at the opposite end to get DCU up and running in the first of three finals the college at set to play in today.
Yet ATU Sligo reinforced their authority with fine efforts courtesy of Higgins and Mayo midfielder Hannah Sheehy and while DCU vice-captain Hughes added to her personal tally, their Connacht counterparts once again fired back with Cara King and Lynch points.
Although Emma O’Brien and Hughes added further scores for DCU, additional points from Lynch, Higgins and Sheehy were complimented by a superb Keeva Farmer goal on 25 minutes to propel ATU Sligo towards a 2-8 to 0-5 interval cushion.
This left DCU in a precarious position on the resumption, but the capital-based college came roaring back into contention when a point from midfielder Aine Smith was followed up by a goal courtesy of the increasingly-influential Hughes.
This ramped up the pressure on their opponents, but Liam Gilmartin’s Yeats County outfit regained momentum when the raiding King scrambled home from close-range for her side’s third major on 38 minutes.
The excellent Lynch and Orla Hennessy also found the range as the third-quarter developed, but credit must go to a determined DCU for the way they persevered with their challenge. Thanks to a brace of points from Hagan and Hughes, as well as a single effort by Sligo native Rianne Smith, the Metropolitan side reduced their deficit to five with a little under six minutes of normal time remaining.
However, ATU never allowed panic to creep into their play and Lynch added her second goal of the day after DCU’s Orla O’Connor had originally turned away her 56th minute penalty. Coolera/Strandhill attacker Anna McDaniel went from there to bag a 1-1 salvo in second half stoppage-time, which ensured that ATU Sligo claimed Lynch Cup honours in considerable style.
Scorers – ATU Sligo: D Lynch 2-3 (0-3f), C King, A McDaniel 1-1 each, K Farmer 1-0, R Higgins 0-3, H Sheehy 0-2, O Hennessy 0-1.
DCU Dóchas Éireann (4): C Hughes 1-5 (0-3f), S Hagan 0-3, A Smith, R Smith, E O’Brien 0-1 each.
ATU SLIGO: C Gallagher; C Treanor, C Corrigan, L Galvin; N O’Rourke, L McCartan, C King; H Sheehy, C Walsh; H Prendergast, D Lynch, A McDaniel; O Hennessy, R Higgins, K Farmer. Subs: C Brennan for Prendergast (42), N McDonagh for Sheehy, E McNamara for Farmer (both 47), D Healy for Galvin (54), H Kerins for O’Rourke (60).
DCU DÓCHAS ÉIREANN (4): O O’Connor; E Canavan, R Lennon, H Gilligan; S Kelly, S Slattery, M Macken; S Hagan, A Smith; E O’Brien, R Smith, K Doherty; A Boland, C Hughes, R Reilly. Subs: L Murphy for Canavan (h-t), S Reilly for Macken, E Hickey for O’Brien (both 36), A Doohan for Doherty (48), S Goode for Boland (56).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).
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 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).
