Following yesterday’s Fitzgibbon Cup quarter final defeat to UCD, University of Limerick manager Ger Cunningham said his side’s failure to take their chances was the difference in the end. When asked whether a higher group phase finish, and therefore a home quarter final which would have benefited his team, he said that the DIT defeat “hurt” them and they “hadn’t fully recovered” from it. He went on to say that “confidence was low” coming into the game and UCD were “that little bit sharper on the day”. UCD will now play UCC in next Friday’s semi final.

Nicky English said reaching the Fitzgibbon weekend was “really satisfying” and pointed to two moments in the 2nd half as “key” to his team’s victory. Firstly Brian Murphy’s save from Tommy Heffernan as UL were three points up and had they gone further in front there would have been “no way back” for UCD. The second was Noel McGrath’s free from an acute angle, particularly as he had missed the previous one. English also hinted that UCD’s previous quarter final defeats gave them great desire which he said was “what brought them through”.

Noel McGrath spoke of how reaching the Fitzgibbon weekend was the team’s aim following their quarter final exits in the previous two years. He said that “there wasn’t going to be much” in the game and it was important that his team got the scores in the last few minutes.

- Luke Allen