Mary Immaculate College 1-22
Maynooth University 0-12

Páraic McMahon reports from Mary Immaculate College

AS EXPECTED, TWO-time Fitzgibbon Cup champions, Mary Immaculate proved too strong for Maynooth and recorded a 13-point victory at home this afternoon.

Although the weather changed from rain to snow at various stages, the Jamie Wall managed side always remained the dominant team throughout.

Following on from their first round win over DIT, the Limerick college exerted their authority inside the opening quarter as they held a 1-09 to 0-4 advantage.

Clare duo Colin Guilfoyle and Gary Cooney collaborated for some excellent scores and linked up well on the second minute with Newmarket-on-Fergus native Guilfoyle firing home the only goal of the game.

Aaron Gillane continued his accurate form on placed balls to keep their account ticking during the opening half while Colin O’Brien, Mícheál O’Loughlin and Luke Meade also chipped in with some points.

At the other end, Tipperary’s Conor Stakelum ensured Maynooth were only ten points adrift at half-time.

While Mary I certainly took their foot off the pedal in the second half, they still outscored their Kildare counterparts by nine to six and thus recorded a deserved win.

Cathal Fenton’s Maynooth will be disappointed with the result but collectively they did not possess the strength of their opponents. Luke Walsh and Jack Fallon put in solid displays, they will need this and more to cause an upset against DIT in a winner takes all clash on Thursday.

At the outset of the campaign, Mary I’s goal was to qualify for the knockout stages, this box has been ticked and their next outing will be on 6-7 February. A semi-final place is well within their reach but a longer-lasting effort and better discipline will be required to make the last four.

Thomas Monaghan’s workrate which included half a dozen hooks set the tempo for the victors whose attacking prowess of Guilfoyle, Gillane, Cooney and O’Loughlin will test any defence while Lismore’s David Prendergast is a reliable anchor in front of solid shot-stopper Eoghan Cahill.

Scorers for Mary Immaculate: Colin Guilfoyle 1-3, Aaron Gillane 0-6 (0-6f), Colin O’Brien 0-4 (0-3f, 0-1’65), Mícheál O’Loughlin 0-3, Thomas Monaghan, Eoghan Cahill (0-2f) 0-2 each, Gary Cooney, Luke Meade 0-1 each.

Scorers for NUI Maynooth: Jack Fallon 0-6 (0-3f), Conor Stakelum 0-3 (0-3f), David Connolly 0-2, Ronan Smith 0-1.

Mary Immaculate College

1. Eoghan Cahill (Birr, Offaly)

19. Brian Buckley (Dromina, Cork)
3. David Prendergast (Lismore, Waterford)
2. Eoghan Ryan (Tipperary)

5. Craig Morgan (Kilruane McDonaghs, Tipperary)
6. Darren Browne (Kanturk, Cork)
30. Alan Walsh (Wexford)

15. Phillip Hickey (Nenagh Éire Óg, Tipperary)
9. Luke Meade (Newcestown, Cork)

12. Colin Guilfoyle (Newmarket-on-Fergus, Clare)
10. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell, Limerick)
27. Colin O’Brien (Liscarroll, Cork)

13. Gary Cooney (O’Callaghan Mills, Clare)
11. Thomas Monaghan (Craughwell, Galway)
28. Mícheál O’Loughlin (Clonlara, Clare)

Subs

20. Sean Burke (Grenagh, Cork) for O’Loughlin (52)
22. Stephen Farrell (Kilkenny) for Hickey (55)
24. Sean Hogan (Limerick) for Walsh (59)

Maynooth University

1. Mark Doyle (Kildare)

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2. Emmet Moloney (Tipperary)
3. Daniel Comerford (Laois)
4. Cormac Byrne (Wexford)

12. Jack Travers (Kildare)
5. Jack Cullen (Wexford)
6. Cathal Moloney (Tipperary)

7. David Connolly (Laois)
8. Ronan Smith (Dublin)

9. Luke Walsh (Dublin)
10. Andrew Gaffney (Kilkenny)
11. Conor Stakelum (Tipperary)

15. Conor Heary (Kilkenny)
13. Sean Buggy (Kilkenny)
18. Jack Fallon (Tipperary)

Subs

17. Fiach Ó Crualaoich (Wexford) for Travers (inj) (15)
19. Alan Hosey (Carlow) for Walsh (60)

Referee: Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)

Join us to preview the Six Nations with Simon Zebo, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey on Thursday @7pm in Liberty Hall Theatre Dublin.