A torrid close game brimming with breathless twists left it all square after an absorbing Munster final in Limerick yesterday. Up four points with five minutes left, reigning champions Doonbeg will now spend the week wondering why they didn't bolt the door more firmly.
All afternoon, they had soaked up the students' dash and imagination with little fuss only to be left sucker punched at the end.
The frantic outbreak of scores in the last five minutes arrived with little attendant fanfare. A Michael Cronin free reduced the gap to 2-6 to 0-9 and through Gary Stack and Micheal O Se, the students were generating enough possession to maybe create a goal chance. With Doonbeg bunching though, it was hard to see UCC designing a passage through.
The lightning Ian Twiss did worry Doonbeg goalkeeper Nigel Dillon by screwing a low shot through a tangle of defenders with three minutes left but there was little sign of what was to come.
With the next possession, half back Damien Reidy collected a short free and from 25 metres, he viciously drove an angled shot which wasn't too far from the sound barrier. While the entire ground admired the trajectory, the ball crashed off the crossbar and Twiss had netted the rebound before we could even exhale.
Doonbeg might have stood around then to ponder the irony - this time last year, they benefited from an injury-time goal - but instead, they set about retrieving the lead, with Paul Hehir breaking loose at midfield and lobbing a shot which died just behind the crossbar.
The Doonbeg crowd, stunned by the late assault on their team, gave vent again only to find themselves witnessing another improbable turn from the kick-out, when Liam Murphy skinned his man and turned to bear down on Dillon's goal once again. A goal looked on but the half-forward calmly fisted a point. Paddy Russell, who knows a good show when he sees it, blew time.
"We are not too disheartened, at least we have another chance at it," said Paul Hehir afterwards.
"I had a fair idea we were in injury time when I got our last point, but fair play, they came up for another equaliser. We'll have another day out of it."
Bulkier than UCC, the champions had composure in defence in Kieran O'Mahoney, Conor Whelan and Ciaran Burns and used both Gerry Killeen and Francis McInerney with increasing success after a hesitant start.
UCC gave a delightful show of forward play in that period, with Twiss, Michael D Cahill and Keith Moran central as they popped three points without reply. Killeen then hit two on the trot for Doonbeg before Paul Hehir equalised.
Sparks and late tackles flew as Russell began airing the yellow card liberally as a low-scoring half came to an end, UCC's world fell apart.
With two minutes remaining, goalkeeper Alan Quirke, who had earlier looked unsure under dropping balls, left his line to meet a lob from Paul Hehir. Michael Conway rose with him, got fingernails to the ball and it trickled in. Quirke had no sooner returned the kick-out than he was beaten again, this time more directly by Paul Conway who neatly fired passed the unhappy Corkman. Out of nowhere, Doonbeg had a 2-3 to 0-5 lead.
UCC though, hung in against the flow, with Cronin chipping three second-half frees as they waited for the half chance of the goal. Doonbeg dragged Padraig Conway from full forward to act as a sweeper, a familiar role which he took to with great vigour.
Content to kill time, the regressive move ultimately cost them. UCC comfortably bottled the Clare side's offensive duo. Through Reidy, O Se, Cronin, Twiss, Cahill and substitute Seamus Downey, they tirelessly sought ways through and were rarely less than thrilling in open space.
Doonbeg ought to have killed it off when Senan Hehir booted a huge kick with nine minutes left to leave them four points to the good but instead, they were content to trust their defensive solidity. In a flash, the risk of that strategy was demonstrated.
The omens bode well for UCC now; this is their fourth draw of the campaign. They meet Doonbeg again next Sunday, same time, same place.
DOONBEG: N Dillon; P Gallagher, C Whelan, K O'Mahoney; D Conway, K Burns, P Smith; K Nugent, S Hehir (0-1); P Hehir (0-3, 2 frees), F McInerney, M Conway (1-0); B Lynch (0-1), P Conway (1-0), G Killeen (0-2). Subs: B Shanahan for M Conway (Half-time).
UCC A Quirke; C Breathnach, S MactSithigh, F Kelleher; P Galvin, E Fitzmaurice, D Reidy; G Stack, M O Se; L Murphy (0-2), M in Cronin (0-4, frees), K Moran (0-2); MD Cahill (0-1), B Sheehan, I Twiss (1-0). Subs: S Downey (0-1) for C Breathanch (35 mins), E Hanrahan for K Moran (46 mins).
Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).
