UCC 2-17
DCU 0-22
(After extra time)

UCC are through to the Fitzgibbon Cup final after claiming a thrilling semi-final victory against DCU in extra time at Waterford IT.

Chris O’Leary’s 82nd minute penalty was what secured the Cork students a place in next week’s decider after DCU looked to have done enough with Chris Crummey’s late point sending them into the added minutes of injury-time a point in front.

The leaders would concede a controversial penalty right at the death though, which 21-year-old O’Leary kept his cool to convert, sending them out of this competition and their opponents towards a final date with the winners of Mary Immaculate and NUIG on Valentine’s Day.

DCU had edged the opening 20 minutes of this contest and led by 0-8 to 0-6 before Shane Kingston rattled the back of their net with a fine finish to the roof of the net, handing the victors their first lead of the evening.

The Cork star landed a superb point from a tight angle just moments later to send Tom Kingston’s men in leading by the minimum (1-8 to 0-10) at the interval.

UCC's Darragh Fitzgibbon with Paudie Foley of DCU

The sides would be level four times throughout the second-half, including at the finish when James Bergin's brilliant effort left it at 1-13 to 0-16 after 62 minutes.

Scores from Billy Ryan and Wexford’s Rory O’Connor saw the Dublin side edge matters by one at the short break and they looked on course for victory once they cancelled out O’Leary’s leveller with back-to-back singles from marksmen Bergin and Crummey.

O’Leary and Crummey traded white flags back and forth as the clock ticked down and DCU were on the brink until conceding a penalty in the dying stages which Kilkenny man O'Leary tucked away to leave Eoin Roche's men heartbroken at the final whistle.

Watch the game's closing stages right here: 

UCC - J Barry; N O'Leary, E Gunning, K Dwyer; C O'Leary (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-1f), E Murphy, D Griffin; M Coleman (0-1), C Browne; P O'Loughlin, S Kingston (1-5), S Conway (0-6, 4f); M O'Halloran, M Kehoe, C Roche. Subs: E Sheehan for M O'Halloran, D Fitzgibbon for M Kehoe, M Kehoe for E Sheehan, R Donohue for C Roche, S Hayes for M Kehoe, D Lynch for K Dwyer, D Walsh for R Donohue.

DCU - O Foley; P Smyth, E O'Donnell, A Maddock; P Foley, C Delaney, C Crummey (0-1); D Reck (0-1), R McBride (0-1); D Burke (0-1), R O'Connor (0-3), F Whitely; Billy Ryan (0-2), J Bergin (0-10, 8f), S Morrissey (0-2). Subs: J Donnelly for D Burke, F McGibb for S Morrissey, K Doyle for Billy Ryan, D Mullen (0-1) for A Maddock, Brian Ryan for K Doyle, Billy Ryan for F McGibb, C Burke for Billy Ryan, D Gray for R O'Connor.

Referee - T Walsh.

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