2017 Fitzgibbon Cup ¼ Final.
Mary I 4-18
NUIG 1-16
A great display from defending champions Mary I gave them a comfortable 11 point victory over the visitors NUIG.
Mary I started got off to flier with wing forward Darragh O Donavon scoring his first point. Nuig then levelled with a fine point from play from midfielder Ian fox. O Donavon the hit another fine long range point before Mary I then went on their meaningful attack, midfielder Colm Galvin using his pace to get free from his marker his belter of a shot but hit the crossbar with the quick - thinking corner forward Tadhg Gallagher finishing the rebounding sliotar into the back of the net, giving them a three point cushion
NUIG got two frees in reply. The first coming from centre back Connor Cleary bagging a fine long range free from well inside his own half, then Corner forward Ger Hennely slotted another from long range . The scores then started coming thick and fast from both sides with Mary I wing forward scoring two points from play before the aforementioned Hennely got a free in reply. Aaron Gillane slotted the next two points, one from a placed ball. Hennely scored two more long ranges frees for the visitors.
Mary I had two the next two white flags Corner forward Luke Meade had a fine point from play while the ever more influential Gillane slotted yet another free for Mary I .
NUIGs Conor Whelan then got the ball on the sideline then turned his marker inside out before hitting a point from an outrageous angle over the bar.. Not to be outdone by that great score Mary I then went on attack and after some great play from corner forward Tadhg Gallagher the ball was sent across the square to fellow corner forward Meade and after some amazing stick work finished the ball ending up in the back of the NUIG net.
Yet again Hennely replied with two more scores one from a free and the other from play. The final few minutes of a pulsating half saw both teams put on scoring spurts getting three points each Mary I scores all coming from the stick of Gillane scoring two from play and one from a free , NUIG scores came from full forward Sam Conlan a majestic side-line cut from Conor Whelan and a fine point from Ian fox. Leaving the half time score Mary I 2-11….. NUIG 0-11…...
Much like the first half Mary I came out of the traps quicker with centre forward Michael O'Neil putting the ball over the black spot almost immediately after the restart. Like most of the game NUIGs response from the hurl of Hennely who scored two more points one from play and another from a free. Mary I then hit NUIG with a real sucker punch wing forward Gillane found himself at the edge of the square and after a fine bit of play buried the ball into the back of the net. Whelan and Gillane then traded scores with Whelan scoring from play and Gillane hitting over another excellent free. O'Neill popped up with another fine score for the home team. Yet again Hennely kept the scoreboard ticking over with a badly needed point.
Gillane sealed the visitors fate, again gaining possession on the edge of the square and expertly finished the ball into the net. Yet again Gillane and Hennely traded frees.
As the game started to fizzle out both sides started to empty their benches. Meade got another lovely score for Mary I before NUIG scored a consolation goal through wing forward Gearoid Loughnane . Mary I finished the game two more points one from sub Tommy Monaghan and the other coming from the aforementioned O'Neill, finishing off a rather facile win 4-16…...... to 1-18….... and booking their spot in this years semi final.
Mary I ( C Barrett, ; D Sweeney , R English, E Quirke; ,C Twomey,R Maher ,A Flynn , C Galvin , S Cahill D O Donavan(0-2) , M O Neill(0-3) A Gillane (2-10) T Gallagher (1-0) C Lynch L Meade (1-2)
Subs Used ; T Monaghan(0-1) for T Gallagher , T Grimes for D O Donavon , C Stapleton for C Twomey, T O Mahony for C Lynch , L Ryan for A Gillane
NUIG C Tuohy ; C Cosgrove , B Fitzpatrick, C Ryan; M Connelly, C Cleary(0-1), G Forde , I Fox (0-2) G Loughnanne(1-0) , K Mchugo, C Whelan (0-3) G Henelly (0-9) S Conlan (0-1) A Helebert
Subs Used G Fennely for A Helebert J Commins for K Mchugo C Cosgrave for G Forde S Barrett for G Loughnanne
