Tipp players star as strong second half showing sees UL into Fitzgibbon Cup Final

Fitzgibbon Cup Semi-Final

University of Limerick 0-19

SETU Waterford 0-16

UL ARE into another Fitzgibbon Cup Final following a hard-fought 0-19 to 0-16 victory over SETU Waterford at the Waterford college's campus.

Tipperary duo Gearoid O'Connor and Bryan O'Mara, as well as Ballybrown's Colin Coughlan excelled for Brian Ryan's side that will now face the University of Galway in the decider. A repeat of last year's final.

SETU Waterford dominated the early exchanges and let 0-6 to 0-4 but four in a row from UL saw them go into the lead for the first time.

However, the Waterford side fired over the next six scores to go into a 0-12 to 0-8 advantage. UL finished the half the stronger team with O'Connor landing four in a row to level the game at the break.

Reuben Halloran and O'Connor swapped frees in the early stages of the second half but a point blank double save from UL keeper Dean Mason turned the game in the Limerick college's favour.

Directly from the double save, O'Mara sent over an inspirational point that was followed by two O'Connor scores and one from Coughlan. 

That put UL four points clear and it was a lead they never looked likely to lose. A late Billy Nolan 21-metre free was saved by Mason and UL saw out the game to win by three points.

Scorers for UL: Gearoid O'Connor 0-13 (11 frees), Colin Coughlan 0-3, Bryan O'Mara 0-2 and Diarmuid Hannify 0-1.

UL: Dean Mason (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny), Mike Gough (Smith O'Briens, Clare), TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge, Galway), Mark Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford); Killian Sampson (Shinrone, Offaly), Bryan O'Mara (Holycross-Ballycahill), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick), Brian O'Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork), Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny); Diarmuid Hanniffy (Oranmore, Galway), Gearoid O'Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy, Tipperary), Sean Twomey (Courcey Rovers, Cork); Adam English (Doon, Limerick), Michael Kiely (Abbeyside, Waterford), James Power (Clonea, Waterford).

Subs: Shane Staunton (Clara, Kilkenny) for Gough (39 mins), Ian Byrne (Glenmore, Kilkenny) for Hanniffy (51 mins), Cian Darcy (Kilruane McDonagh’s, Tipperary) for English (55 mins).