Sean O'Brien of MTU Kerry celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the Electric Ireland HE GAA Sigerson Cup Round 3 match between MTU Cork and MTU Kerry at MTU Cork in Cork. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile.
Sigerson Cup Round 3
DCU 3-14 ATU SLIGO 0-10
MTU KERRY 4-11 MTU CORK 2-10
UL 3-8 UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY 0-14
By Paul Keane at St Clare's, DCU
Conor Dolan netted twice as DCU took advantage of their second chance in the Sigerson Cup to secure a quarter-final spot.
Beaten by UCD by a point last week, the 2020 champions got back to winning ways with a commanding Round 3 win over ATU Sligo on their home soil in north Dublin.
ATU Sligo had bounced back from their Round 1 loss to Ulster University by overcoming ATU Galway last week but they were as good as beaten by half-time here.
DCU led by 1-9 to 0-2 at that stage with Dolan's opening goal, a calamity from ATU Sligo's perspective as the Dubliner's high ball in was fumbled into the net, leaving the hosts 1-5 to 0-1 up.
Already it was looking ominous for ATU Sligo who found it difficult to curb DCU's powerful runners like captain and rising Meath star Ciaran Caulfield.
Ryan Donoghue pinched a terrific 18th minute point for DCU too after two long kick-passes from their full-back line picked out the Cavan man in space on the right.
DCU had an all Skerries Harps midfield combination of Greg McEnaney and Ethan Dunne and the towering duo lorded it with McEnaney closing out the first-half scoring.
ATU Sligo needed a miracle to get back into it and they did score four of the first five points after the restart, Cavan's Emmanuel Sehu with two of those.
Matthew Carey was solid on the frees for them as well while Mark Walsh brought penetration with his probing runs and was their brightest player overall.
But Dolan's second goal in the 54th minute, after a terrific one-two by the Man O'War clubman, put the result beyond doubt.
Substitute Eoghan Smith added a third goal for DCU in stoppage time after being played in by Sligo's Luke Marren.
University of Limerick, who have knocked DCU out of this competition in each of the last three seasons, are through to the quarter-finals also, along with MTU Kerry. The last Round 3 game will take place tomorrow evening in Maynooth when the hosts face St Mary's.
The four Round 2A winners - UCD, holders Ulster University, TU Dublin and TUS Midlands - are already through to the last eight.
MTU Kerry, fresh off their big win over UCC, took out another Cork side in the shape of MTU Cork this evening with Darragh O'Connor striking 2-3. Keith Evans weighed in with 1-2 while Waterford's Alan Dunwoody struck an impressive 2-5 for the hosts who bowed out of the competition after back-to-back defeats.
Goals were crucial in UL's win over University of Galway with Cian O'Grady scoring two of them in what was a repeat of the 2022 final.
The westerners won that final three years ago in Carlow but with captain Darragh Cashman excellent for UL, and Mayo's Cian McHale also netting, the Limerick outfit claimed victory this time.
DCU scorers: Conor Dolan 2-1, Eoghan Smith 1-0, Luke Marren 0-3 (0-3f), Ciaran Caulfield 0-2, Conor Heffernan 0-2, Greg McEnaney 0-1, Eoin Ward 0-1, Ethan Dunne 0-1, Ryan Donoghue 0-1, Eoghan O'Connor Flanagan 0-1, Tom Prior 0-1.
ATU Sligo scorers: Matthew Carey 0-3 (0-2f), Emmanuel Sehu 0-2 (0-1f), Mark Walsh 0-2, Matthew Gillespie 0-1, Jack Lavin 0-1, Favour Sehu 0-1.
DCU: Eoin McGuinness (Longford); Bryan Masterson (Longford), Alex Gavin (Dublin), Eoghan O'Connor Flanagan (Dublin); Darragh Joyce (Mayo), Ronan Gallagher (Donegal), Ciaran Caulfield (Meath - Captain); Greg McEnaney (Dublin), Ethan Dunne (Dublin); Conor Heffernan (Laois), Ryan Donoghue (Cavan), Conor Dolan (Dublin); Niall Dolan (Kildare), Luke Marren (Sligo), Tom Prior (Leitrim).
Subs: Eoin Ward (Roscommon) for Joyce 38, Eoghan Smith for Niall Dolan 49, Luke Glennon (Roscommon) for Masterson 55, Mick McDonald (Dublin) for McEnaney 55, Jamie Browne (Meath) for Dunne 58.
ATU Sligo (Sligo unless stated): Cian Kilcoyne; Mark Walsh, Conor Johnston; Jack Lavin; Dylan Walsh, Richard O'Rourke (Donegal), Dillon Walsh; Fionnan Ryan (Mayo), Joe Keaney; Ross Doherty, Daire O'Boyle (Captain), Matthew Gillespie (Donegal); Aaron Brown (Kildare), Matthew Carey (Longford), Emmanuel Sehu (Cavan).
Subs: Favour Sehu (Cavan) for Brown 25; Jack Casey (Leitrim) for Emmanuel Sehu 52, Oisin McLoughlin (Leitrim) for Gillespie 56, Jordan Brady (Wicklow) for Ryan 56, Kyle McNulty (Donegal) for Dillon Walsh 60.
Referee: Andrew Smith (Meath).
