DCU had to work for this one.
Four time champions DCU went into their clash with DKIT in Darvar on Wednesday evening as raging hot favourites. They came out of it alive, but only just.
The Louth college, managed by Armagh legend Oisín McConville, booked their place in the first round of this competition after they defeated Trinity by 11 points in Santry last week.
End of the road for the senior team this year. Boys gutted but we’ll be back! #dkit pic.twitter.com/hT7WYomlxs
— DkIT GAA (@DkITGAA) January 31, 2018
They went into this one with confidence. They played with it, too. Early points from David McGivney, Tadhg McEnaney and Donal Meegan gave them a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after the first 15 minutes of the game.
Team named for tonight #dkitgaa pic.twitter.com/ySbmn3DekN
— DkIT GAA (@DkITGAA) January 31, 2018
DCU’s Barry Kerr was issued with a straight red card soon after, and the away side were reeling. DkIT, backed by a partisan Wee county crowd in the county’s centre of excellence raced into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead after half-time.
Diarmuid O’Connor, Dessie Ward and Fintan Kelly also received yellow cards for the North Dublin side.
Full Time here in The Centre of Excellence Darver and DCU advance to the Sigerson Cup Q/Final following and hard fought win over DKiT. pic.twitter.com/AhgwHtcrSH
— Louth GAA (@louthgaa) January 31, 2018
A penalty came the way of the Glasnevin university with 15 minutes to play and that turned the game on its head, however. Kerryman Eanna O’Connor, who received a controversial red card last weekend when his club An Ghaeltacht lost to Moy in the All-Ireland intermediate semi-final, slotted it home.
Sigerson Cup 55 mins @DCUGAAAcademy 1-7 @DkITGAA 0-7 @EannaOConnor95 keeping scoreboard ticking
— DCU Dóchas Éireann GAA Club (@DCUDocEirGAA) January 31, 2018
He tacked on a couple of more points and they held on to edge it by three. By the skins of their teeth.
Those DKIT boys can be proud of their efforts and they’ll be back for more last year.
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