TUD 2-15 UL 2-11
A Sean Jones inspired TUD are through to the last four of the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup after overcoming UL by four points in Grangegorman.
Monaghan forward Jones was in scintillating form for the impressive Dublin outfit, terrorising the UL defence with his pace and accuracy as he racked up 1-3 from play.
Sean McDonnell scored a brace of goals for a UL team who were gallant in defeat but TUD had all the answers in front of their home support.
TUD got off to a fast start with their pacy forward line causing problems for the UL defence from the word go.
The inclusion of Colm Basquel from the start for the first time in this campaign was a big boost for Eoghan O'Grady and Adam Doran's side though he was held in the opening stages.
TUD's inside duo Sean Jones and Jordan Morris got in for early scores before a brace from the industrious Danny McCartan put them 0-4 0-1 to the good after fifteen minutes.
A Cian McHale free was UL’s only score in the first quarter of an hour but they were playing against the breeze.
Full forward Sean McDonnell's first goal put UL in front for the first time as they hit a purple patch late on in the first half but TUD didn’t panic.
Niall Carolan and Joe Prendergast were to the fore as they responded to hit the break in front, 0-9 to 1-5.
Sigerson Cup Quarter Final
RESULT@TUDublinCCGAA : 2-15 (21)@ul_gaa : 2-11 (17)Commiserations to our Senior Men’s footballers who bow out of the competition. All the best of TUD in the next round.@HigherEdGAA #ULGAA #BelongToThePack 🐺 pic.twitter.com/L9YGIizepI
— UL GAA Club (@ul_gaa) January 28, 2025
It looked like game over 50 minutes when Jack Lundy coolly converted a penalty to put TUD seven points up but UL fought gamely to ensure a tense finale, with McDonnell on hand to poke home a second goal.
But it was in these closing moments when the experience of Colm Basquel shone through. He carried TUD up the field on numerous occasions, acting as a link man between defence and attack, creating openings with his blistering pace.
In Morris, Jones and Basquel, the team have pace to burn and they're to be feared in the last four.
Meanwhile, it was all one-way-traffic in the evening's other game as UCD trounced MTU Kerry by 26 points in Belfield. A brace of goals each from Cormac Egan and Paul Honeyman and another from the in-form Ben O'Carroll helped John Divilly's side to a convincing win over last year's Trench Cup champs, booking their place in the semis.
The last two quarter finals take place tomorrow, with DCU facing TUS Midlands as reigning champs UUJ host Maynooth. The semi-final draw takes place on Thursday morning.
TUD
J Rodgers; C Reilly, M Nolan, N Carolan; D Fee, C McGeough, J Prendergast (0-2); C McBride, S Hanafin (0-1); C Basquel (0-2f), J Lyndy (1-1, 1-0 pen), D McCartan (0-2); J Morris (0-3), C Fee (0-1), S Jones (1-3)
Subs: S Reynolds for D Fee (42), D Rooney for C Fee (47), O Brooks for McCartan (56), D Lovett for Lundy (60+1).
UL
B Hogan; P O’Driscoll (0-1), C Keogh, F Kelly; E Clifford, D Cashman, D Walsh; T O’Donnell, D O’Hagan; C Dawson, F Irwin (0-1f), D Heneghan (0-1); C McHale (0-4, 0-3f), S McDonnell (2-0), C O’Grady (0-2)
Subs: P White for Dawson (43), J Fallon (0-1) for O’Donnell, C Ryan (0-1) for O’Hagan (both 47), J McCabe for Clifford (55), C O’Sullivan for Heneghan (60+3).