UCC 1-16 UL 0-16 (after extra-time)
UCC have been crowned Sigerson Cup champions after beating UL after extra-time at the SETU Arena.
The victory is the university's 24th title overall and this is Billy Morgan’s sixth time winning the competition, with four of those now coming in his tenure as manager.
UL played with a level of intensity coming from their mission to avenge last year’s final defeat to University of Galway.
UCC matched this energy early on, a methodology that paid off when Emmett McMahon kicked UL’s first point from open play in the 25th minute.
Up until that point, their only scores came from frees that Paul Keaney put over against a powerful breeze.
UCC’s forward line produced virtually from the whistle as their first free from Cathail O’Mahony dropped into the penalty area and Dylan Geaney raised a green flag by punching home.
They should have got a second goal through Mark Cronin but he hit the post and as the ball rolled narrowly wide.
That didn’t matter too much to their collective confidence as O’Mahony kicked over UCC’s first point in the 15th minute for a two-point cushion.
UL’s response came down the left flank, with Daniel Walsh cutting inside and forcing a low save from Dylan Foley. The loose ball ended up at the feet of Ciaran Downes and his goal-bound shot was blocked on the line by Briain Murphy.
This defensive work was rewarded with a succession of scores that gave them a five-point advantage.
UL were left with little to lose in the closing minutes of the first half and that sense of freedom lifted the pressure as they suddenly started kicking balls over from open play.
A combined effort from Emmett McMahon, Ciarnan Downes, and Darragh Cashman cut the deficit to just two at the break.
UCC regrouped and raised three white flags in a row once the game resumed, but UL came back once again, this time scoring seven unanswered points and that put them two in front.
Geaney and Cronin got two each and that tied things up in the closing stages.
Michael O’Gara thought he won it for UCC with an excellent curling effort that squeezed over but Darragh Cashman cancelled the score out in the final second of five minutes added on.
UCC weren’t disheartened as Fionn Herlihy, Sean O’Connor, and Cronin converted to push them three in front.
UL replied with McMahon, who kicked over his fourth point from open play.
A free from Geaney was the final point of the night and UCC hung on to lift their first Sigerson Cup title since 2019.
UCC: Dylan Foley; Briain Murphy, Daniel O’Mahony, Damien Bourke, Maurice Shanley, Shane Merritt, Bill Curtin, Ruairi Murphy, Brian Harnett, Jack Murphy, Fionn Herlihy (0-2), Killian Falvey (0-1), Dylan Geaney (1-4, 2f), Mark Cronin (0-5, 3f), Cathail O’Mahony (0-2).
Subs: Michael O’Gara (0-1) for Killian Falvey (48), Liam Wall for Bill Curtin (50), Sean O’Connor (0-1) for Cathail O’Mahony (60), Mark Cooper for Briain Murphy (60), Sean Quilter for Dylan Geaney (ET), Dan Peet for Damien Bourke (ET).
UL: Ronan McElligott; Jack Glynn, Colm Moriarity, Jack Coyne (0-3), Darragh Cashman (0-2), Jack O’Brien, Daniel Walsh, Paul Keaney (0-3, 3f), Emmet McMahon (0-4), Ciaran Downes (0-2), Ikem Ugwueru, Eoghan McLaughlin (0-1), John Hayes, Aaron Griffin, Mark Lenehan (0-1).
Subs: Paul Walsh for John Hayes (34), Sean McDonnell for Ikem Ugwueru (35), Brian McNamara for Jack O’Brien (38), Eoghan O’Sullivan for Paul Keaney (58), David Mangan for Aaron Griffin (ET), Cian Glennon for Daniel Walsh (ET), Geaoird Hassett for Sean McDonnell (ET), Sean O’Leary for Jack Coyne (ET)
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone)
