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Waterford IT 2-10 University of Ulster, Jordanstown 0-3
Ursula Jacob and Karen Kelly were in flying form for Waterford IT as they enjoyed a relatively easy passage to the final of the Ashbourne Cup at CIT on Saturday.
Full-forward and captain Jacob scored 1-4 while Kelly, beside her in the corner, notched 1-1 but all over the pitch WIT were well on top in this clash and never looked to be in any real danger.
Midfielder Katrina Parrock got through a huge amount of work and was desperately unlucky not to decorate her performance with a deserved goal, as she was twice denied late on by saves from UUJ goalkeeper Eleanor Mallon.
Mallon was a big reason why the margin between the sides at the end wasn’t larger, as she also pulled off stops to deny Kelly in the second half.
From the off WIT were on top, though. Points from Anne Dalton, Jacob and Denise Gaule had them three to the good before Kelly struck for a goal in the 15th minute, finishing well after Katie Power had been hooked.
Shannon Graham did open UUJ’s account before the break, but Kelly responded to that to leave it 1-4 to 0-1 as the sides turned around.
It was much the same after the restart, Jacob continuing to find the target with Power also getting in on the act.
Frees from Karen Gribben were all UUJ could muster in response and the game was done and dusted in the 49th minute with Jacob’s goal, controlling a Kelly pass before sending the ball to the top corner.
WATERFORD IT: K Kenneally; T Shortt, SA Fitzgerald, K Cottrell; C Dormer, A Dalton (0-1f), S Redmond; K Parrock, C Raher; D Gaule (0-1), M O’Neill (0-1), P Jackman; K Power (0-1), U Jacob (1-4, 0-1f), K Kelly (1-1).
Subs: M Quilty (0-1) for O’Neill (50), L Keena for Fitzgerald (52), J Lynch for Raher (54), K Ryall for Shortt, M Hogan for Gaule (both 57).
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER, JORDANSTOWN: E Mallon; K Tinnelly, R O’Boyle, C Carey; A McCusker, M McGoldrick, A Martin; K McMullen, P Gribben; A Corr, K Gribben (0-2, 0-1f, 0-1 45), C Hamill; SL Carr, S Graham (0-1), M Convery.
Subs: L Canavan for O’Boyle (50), M Jordan for Corr (52).
Referee: C Egan.
UCC 0-10 UCD 0-9
A good second-half comeback saw UCC book their place in the Ashbourne Cup final in the second semi-final at CIT on Saturday afternoon.
When Alison Maguire pointed a free for UCD in the 22nd minute, it extended UCD’s lead to 0-6 to 0-1 after they had outplayed the Cork college for most of the first half, but in the second period, UCC produced some great battling ability to whittle out the victory.
A major factor in UCC’s revival was the performance of their centre-forward, Cork star Orla Cotter, who sent over four consecutive points in the final quarter to turn an 0-8 to 0-6 deficit into a 0-10 to 0-8 lead.
Others to shine for UCC were midfielder Denise Cronin and captain Grainne Kenneally, though UCD can count themselves unlucky.
They tore into this game, with two long-range frees from full-back Mairead Luttrell and others from Fiona Phelan, Natalia Hyland Aine Mahony and Alison Maguire helping them to that five-point lead.
Before the break UCC rallied however, and by half-time they had cut the gap to 0-7 to 0-4. At the outset of the second half, UCC held the upper hand but, apart from a Cronin point, they could not eat into the lead as UCD were defending strongly, with Luttreel especially impressive.
They could not hold out indefinitely though, and Cotter, who had been unlucky in the first half, began to take the game by the scruff of the neck and put her side in the lead for the first time.
In the final minute of normal time, UCD were awarded a 20m free but Luttrell’s effort was just over the bar, and though there were five minutes of injury time, UCC held out to advance to a meeting with WIT in the decider.
UCC: D Leahy; J Brien, S Collins, E O’Shea; A McNamara, F Carr, M Crowley; J Horan, D Cronin (0-1); G Kenneally (0-1), O Cotter (0-4, 0-3f), T Muldowney (0-2); N Goulding, L Gahan, A McLoughney.
Subs: D Fahey (0-1) for Goulding, S McGrath for Gahan (both half-time), S Hayes for McLoughney (60).
UCD: S Glynn; E Dunne, M Luttrell (0-3f), G Stapleton; C Cooney, L Fennelly, K McDonald; L Hawkes, A Maguire (0-3, 0-2f), F Phelan (0-1), N Hyland (0-1), T Manton; A Mahony (0-1), K O’Dwyer, D McGrath.
Subs: A O’Leary for Phelan (39), R Noctor for Hawkes (blood, 50-53).
Referee: J Morrissey.
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