As UL students settled back in to second semester life, two of our senior teams took to the pitch for Championship clashes.
Poor weather conditions on Sunday saw a late change to time and venue for our senior hurlers in the first round of the Fitzgibbon Cup. However, this did not deter the side as they emerged with a nine point victory over DIT.
Our senior camogie team was also successful in their second round clash with UCD on Wednesday night in the Ashbourne Cup, winning by a margin of 16 points.
Both sides are in action again this week, as well as our senior footballers, so make sure you follow us across Facebook (UL GAA), Twitter (@ul_gaa) and Instagram (@ulwolves_gaa) for live updates across the week. You can also download the Clubify app for all the latest news, fixtures and results from UL GAA.
Week 1 Results:
Fitzgibbon Cup: UL 3-29 DIT 4-17
Ashbourne Cup: UL 4-13 UCD 0-9
Match Reports:
Fitzgibbon Cup Rd 1
Sunday 21st January, North Campus 4G
By Marisa Kennedy
UL 3-29 DIT 4-17
Nine points was the margin as UL eased past DIT in the first round of the Fitzgibbon Cup on Sunday.
Despite a second half surge in which DIT scored 2-3 without reply, the win never looked doubtful for the home side, with their forward line running rampant.
Star of the show, Jason Forde, grabbed his side’s first goal within the opening quarter as UL raced into a 1-3 to no score lead.
DIT scored three frees before finally adding their first point from play in the 17th minute, by which time Pat Ryan had raised another green flag with Forde and Kevin O’Brien adding further points.
UL led by 15 points at half-time but allowed DIT to cut that lead to eight early in the second half. A well-timed third goal from John McGrath piled the pressure back on the Dublin side and further points from Forde and Tom Morrissey sealed the win. UL will now face a tough task in Waterford when they take on WIT in the second round.
UL Team: David McCarthy; Aidan McGuane, Brian Troy, Paul Maher (0-1); Gearoid Hegarty, Conor Cleary, David Fitzgerald; Ronan Lynch (0-5), Tony Kelly (0-2); Ian Galvin (0-2), Kevin O’Brien (0-4), Tom Morrissey (0-2); John McGrath (1-1), Jason Forde (1-10, 0-5f), Pat Ryan (1-1).
Subs: Sean Finn for Maher (47), Barry Murphy for Ryan (47), Jordan Henley for Hegarty (51), David Gleeson (0-1) for Galvin (53), John Lennon for Lynch (54).
Ashbourne Cup Round 2
Wednesday 24th January, UCD
By James O’Connor
UL 4-13 UCD 0-9
UL showed their class against UCD this evening as they breezed into Round 3 of the Ashbourne Cup. Despite it being a cold and blustery night, UL were firing on all cylinders from the word go, and within five minutes had a 1-1 to 0-1 lead over UCD, with Sarah Fryday claiming the goal. UL centre forward Beth Carton led the scoring for her team, and her accurate free-taking kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Wolves.
Any sniff of a UCD comeback was put to bed when after a fluid move between the UL forwards, Beth Carton netted her first goal of the night to make the scores 2-6 to 0-6 points at half time.
UL continued the onslaught in the second half, and UCD were struggling to cope with the clever interplay between the forwards. Orla O’Dwyer epitomised this when after catching the puck out, the wing forward solo’d past four players and slotted over a beautiful point to make the scores 3-8 to 0-7 after 40 minutes.
UL showed no sign of easing off towards the latter stages of the game, and showed their strength in depth when Laura Foley scored a well worked point with almost her first touch after being brought into the game. Despite the competition being in its early stages, UL are looking a force to be reckoned with in the 2018 Ashbourne Cup.
UL Team: Roisin Breen; Ciannat Walsh, Mary Ryan, Ciara Grogan; Eimear Kelly, Clare Hehir, Karen Kennedy; Ciara Murphy, Ereena Fryday; Orla O’Dwyer (0-3), Beth Carton (2-5), Roisin Howard (0-2); Sarah Fryday (2-1), Niamh Hanniffy, Caoimhe Lyons (0-2).
Subs: Sinead Gaffney, Laura Foley, Grace O’Brien
Week 2 Fixtures:
Sigerson Cup: UL v CIT on Tuesday 30th Jan. at 2pm on Pitch 1.
Ashbourne Cup: UL v CIT on Wednesday 31st Jan. at 7pm in St Pats.
Fitzgibbon Cup: UL v WIT on Thursday 1st Jan. at 7pm in Carriganore, Waterford.
