DCU 0-14 IT Carlow 0-07
A powerful second-half performance in breezy conditions eased favourites DCU to Sigerson Cup success on their home soil against IT Carlow, the Glasnevin outfit's fifth title and first since 2015.
Leading by three points at the break, Paddy Christie's men surged to success in the second-half with Dublin attacker Paddy Small and Monaghan's David Garland both excellent in attack.
On a familiar pitch - DCU played all four of their games in this year's competition at their home ground - the destroyers of Garda, Queens and UCD comfortably added IT Carlow to their list of scalps.
Garland's 0-04 haul brought his takings to 1-14 for the competition while fellow Farney forward Micheal Bannigan kicked another 0-03, leaving him on 3-15 for the tournament.
Save for their opening round two-point win over Garda, it was plain sailing from there on for DCU who have had a cumulative 48 points to spare in their last three games.
It's the end of the fairytale for first-time finalists IT Carlow who took out 2019 champions UCC along the way under Laois great Pat Critchley.
A strong breeze gusting across the pitch and marginally favouring DCU in the first-half dominated the game and made life difficult for both sets of players.
DCU enjoyed more of the possession but, just like their semi-final against UCD at the same venue a week ago, they came up against a well drilled counter-attacking outfit.
The underdogs were content to soak up whatever DCU could throw at them and then attempt to hit them on the break.
It was a strategy that yielded just two points for IT Carlow in the whole of the first-half and just one of those, from Laois attacker Evan Lowry, was from play. That turned out to be their only point from play in the entire game.
But the approach ensured that chances were at a premium for DCU and the hosts didn't make the most of their early opportunities, ensuring a low scoring encounter until the second-half when they cut loose.
Thomas E Donohoe was through on goal for DCU in the 13th minute, when they led 0-2 to 0-0, but couldn't hit the net to put real daylight between them.
Bannigan and then played in Garland in the 19th minute but he was unable to convert for DCU either.
Their first score from play came in the 17th minute when Shane Carthy, another strong performer for DCU, split the posts.
DCU took a 0-05 to 0-02 lead into the interval and looked the fitter and more determined side in the second-half, holding IT Carlow scoreless from play with Offaly's Cian Farrell registering all of their points from frees.
Small kicked two eye-catching points for DCU while Dublin goalkeeper Evan Comerford took his tally to 0-3 for the evening midway through the second-half with his third converted long-range free.
Small was on target again late on and another Dublin forward, Sean Bugler, rounded off the scoring with a fisted effort late on.
Black cards for Carlow duo Richard Hitchcock and Niall Hughes left them with depleted numbers late on under the new sin-bin rule.
DCU: Evan Comerford (0-03, 0-03f); Daniel Corcoran, Brendan McCole, Conor Morrison; Kevin Flynn, Jordan Morrissey, Declan Monaghan; Sean McMahon, Shane Carthy (0-01); Brian Stack, Micheal Bannigan (0-03, 0-02f), Sean Bugler (0-01); Thomas E Donohoe, Paddy Small (0-02), David Garland (0-04, 0-01f).
Subs: Tom Fox for Donohoe (38), Stephen Smith for Stack (52), Mark Curran for Morrison (54), Kieran Dwyer for Corcoran (60), Nathan Gavigan for McMahon (60).
IT Carlow: Killian Roche; Richard Hitchcock, Ronan Ryan, Josh Moore; Cathal Walsh, Trevor Collins, Conor Doyle; Niall Hughes, Sean Ryan; Adam Steed, Chris Byrne, Padraigh O'Toole; Cian Farrell (0-06, 0-06f), Jack Walsh, Evan Lowry (0-01).
Subs: Gearoid Murphy for J Walsh (38), Sean Crowley for C Walsh (48), Tommy Griffin for Steed (50).
Referee: Derek O'Mahoney (Tipperary).
