And just like that, the champs are gone.
Boggy Dangan of a drizzly day isn’t the nicest of places to hurl but the Galway boys are well used to it by this stage and with themselves and UL both in dire need of a win to stay alive in this year’s Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup, the reigning champs were always going to be in for one hell of a test out west.
And that was exactly what panned out before them.
Having been clipped by UCC in the first round on the college grounds, Gary Kirby’s men were brought down to Fitzgibbon earth and they were made aware just how tough it would be to retain their crown this year.
Four days on and a last chance to keep themselves above water in the ‘group of death’ but with all said and done UL are down under after NUIG passed them out with flying colours.
The home side started well with sharpshooting Clarinbridge livewire nailing an early free before splitting the posts from open play. UL kept in touch against the strong breeze but NUIG’s strength and ball-winning ability in their half forward line kept on causing problems.
Big burly Dara Bourke scored a beauty after catching a puckout and then Conor Whelan, the most efficient forward in the land got in on the act to make it 0-7 0-3 after fifteen minutes.
But rather than letting them back into it, NUIG kept on hitting UL for more, Niland chipping away, Whelan landing a pair of beauties before Michael Lynch scored the goal that would prove decisive.
Seven was a fair cushion even facing into that breeze and the team made up of men from mostly Galway and Tipperary drove into it again with Michael Lynch proving influential and Niland again unerring to seal a deserved 1-19 to 0-17 victory and to leave this competition wide open.
UL out, NUIG aren’t yet through but they’re looking good.
