Canning bows out but LIT have enough for progress

Fitzgibbon Cup/ Limerick IT 1-14 UL 0-17 : Despite the loss of ace marksman Joe Canning after 25 minutes, Limerick IT managed a dramatic late draw to survive to the semi-finals.

Willie Hyland of Laois was the hero with his last-gasp point, his third of the game.

Hyland's stoppage-time point put LIT into the quarter-finals as the university side went out despite snatching the lead for the first time a minute from the end.

Galway's Canning was in action for only 25 minute when forced out through injury but in that time he had scored 1-3 from dead balls - the goal from a third-minute penalty, two frees and one sideline.

Backed by the stiff breeze, LIT led 1-8 to 0-5 at the interval and when UL had full back Aidan Murphy sent off, with a straight red card, four minutes into the second half their chance of survival looked slim.

Points from Pat Cronin, either side of the sending off, and John Greene, however, sparked the revival and with Brian Dowling putting over points from frees and play they gained control and looked to have snatched the game through Dowling but Hyland denied them as the Davy Fitzgerald-coached side edged into the last four despite being reduced to 14 seven minutes from the end.

On Canning's departure, Bernard Gaffney took over the free-taking for LIT and the Clareman was every bit as accurate with a final tally of eight pointed frees.

LIT : M Ryan; M Walsh, A Byrne, E Collins; G O'Connell, S Maher, M O'Brien; J McInerney, J Clancy; W Hyland (0-3) , C Donnellan, A Murphy; J Canning (1-3, 1-0 pen, two 0-2 frees, one sideline), B Gaffney (0-8, frees) , S Herlihy. Subs : P O'Brien for Canning, G O'Mahony for Collins.

UL : T Flynn; L Quigley, A Murphy, M Verney; K Joyce, B Bugler, JB McCarthy (0-2); S Hickey (0-1), P Cronin (0-2) ; S Ryan, M Whelan, J Greene (0-2); B Dowling (0-8, seven frees), B Carroll (0-2) , M Ruth. Subs : J Heffernan for Quigley.

Referee: S Roche (Tipperary).

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times