Gaelic Games

Cox helps 13-man UCC into Sigerson Cup final

Kerry forward hits seven points as Maynooth bow out

University College Cork’s Michael Quillivan eludes David Hyland of NUI Maynooth during the Sigerson Cup semi-final at The Dub, Queens University in Belfast. Photo: Matt Mackey/Inpho/Presseye
University College Cork’s Michael Quillivan eludes David Hyland of NUI Maynooth during the Sigerson Cup semi-final at The Dub, Queens University in Belfast. Photo: Matt Mackey/Inpho/Presseye
Sat Feb 22 2014 - 01:00

UCC 1-14 NUI Maynooth 0-12
Kerry forward Conor Cox kicked seven points to put 13-man UCC through to the Sigerson Cup final in Belfast yesterday.

UCC lost playmaker Alan Cronin to a straight red card after 39 minutes, with Michael Quinlivan dismissed ten minutes later, but they battled hard against the wind to progress to the final for the fourth time in five years.

Maynooth included All-Ireland winners Michael Darragh Macauley and Paddy McBrearty in their ranks. Both played well with McBrearty hitting 0-6, and Macauley winning a lot of ball. But Cox was the outstanding player on show with four superb points into a gale-force wind in the second-half.

Paul Geaney scored 1-3 for UCC, all in the first-half, including a seventh-minute goal when Cronin claimed a short Maynooth kick-out and fed Geaney who fired home.

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UCC led by the goal, 1-6 to 0-6, at half-time. Maynooth had closed the deficit to two points when Cronin was given a straight red card for an off-the-ball offence.

McBrearty showed great leadership to step up and hit two monster frees to draw Maynooth level on 41 minutes . With a man down, and facing into a hellish breeze, UCC looked to have everything against them but they dropped bodies back and were smart on the ball, picking their runs cleverly.

Even after Quinlivan's loss defenders David Culhane and Tom Clancy broke forward to get important points.
UCC: B Kelly; D Culhane (0-1), E O'Mahony, F McNamara; T Clancy (0-1), C Dornan, B Sheehan; D Nation, I McGuire; L Connolly, A Cronin, B O'Driscoll; C Cox (0-7, 0-4 frees), M Quinlivan (0-1), P Geaney (1-3). Subs: S Kiely (0-1) for Nation (45 mins), S Keane for Connolly (45 mins).
NUI MAYNOOTH: M Donnellan; C O'Shea, P Faulkner (0-1), D Hyland; E Lowdnes, F Conway, J Gonoud; MD McAuley, D Kelly; P Cribben (0-1), P Brophy (0-2, 0-1 free), E Wallace (0-2); D Duke, P McBrearty (0-6, 0-3 frees), R Kennedy. Subs: E Mullan for O'Shea (23 mins), S Mattimoe for Kennedy (38 mins), D McNicholas for Kelly (51 mins), F Toolan for Duke (58 mins).
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry).