NUI Galway defy the wind and rain to claim Sigerson

NUI Galway 0-12

UL 1-6

Kevin Egan in Carlow

A proud night for NUI Galway ended in the college’s first Sigerson Cup win since 2003 when Maurice Sheridan’s side outlasted UL in a dour and physical encounter in dismal conditions at IT Carlow last Wednesday.

Perhaps appropriately for two teams that represent famous places of study, both sides went into this game with their homework done on how to negate the key attacking threats on the opposite side.

NUI Galway effectively double-marked David Clifford, and while the free-scoring Kerry attacker still created several chances for himself, he endured a rare off night with the boot – in no small part because of the pressure exerted on some of his shots. NUIG’s success in keeping him away from the ‘red zone’ close to their own goal, meant the Fossa superstar was held scoreless from play.

At the other end of the field, Matthew Tierney of Oughterard was arguably even less of a factor in the game, as UL kept the Galway county player’s mercurial gifts under lock and key for the hour, restricting him to just one dead-ball score.

And so, on a night when the two sides cancelled out the star players on the other side, it was all about who would be the unexpected heroes. In half-time substitute Cathal Heneghan, NUI Galway had the impact sub that would change the game.

The Michael Glaveys player shot three points from play in the second half en route to winning the official man-of-the-match award, though all three Kelly brothers from Moycullen were simply superb, with Eoghan particularly impressive in his downright refusal to take a backward step at any stage.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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