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You are > Home > Another Fitzgibbon classic as NUIG edge out WIT
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Another Fitzgibbon classic as NUIG edge out WIT
BY PHIL FANNING
NUI GALWAY 1-17 WATERFORD IT 1-16
It looked like being a repeat of the epic final of two years ago in Bishopstown when, in an extraordinary game, WIT captured the Fitzgibbon Cup for the ninth time with a dramatic last gasp win, at the end of two sessions of extra time, over Limerick IT on Saturday last, in Galway’s Pearse Stadium, the game seemed set to follow the same path only this time it was the Waterford side that was overhauled and taken into extra time.
At the end of the two additional ten minute periods it looked as though we were again in for an additional ten minute period of five minutes aside as the teams remained deadlocked. Time was running out as WIT won vital possession in midfield but the pressure was intense and the error was made as the Galway side came away with the ball to mount one last attack. After two efforts to strike for the winner had been thwarted the ball broke to Galway’s John Conlon and he found just enough space to send it over the bar. This time there was no time for a reply and NUIG had won the Fitzgibbon for the first time in over twenty years.
While full credit must go to the Galway side for the manner in which they lifted themselves after Caimin Morey’s 42nd minute goal one could not but feel that their revival was assisted by some very poor decision making by the referee. Indeed I would consider the awarding of a free against a WIT forward in possession for over carrying was totally unjustified as the player was being pulled out of by at least three Galway players when there was five points between the sides.
The decision resulted in a point for Seamus Hennessy when the ball should have gone in the opposite direction. Shortly after that J.P. O’Connell escaped without censure following a bad pull on Shane Fives and following a throw in John Conlon sent over a point to cut the deficit to three points with nine minutes remaining. One thing that never ceases to amaze me about some referees is how they can decide that what was a clear foul early in a game is no longer a foul when it comes to the hard decisions at the end of a close game.
Thereafter the momentum was with NUIG but it might be argued that they would not have got the equalising point in the dying seconds of normal time had Adrian Power not tried to pick out a colleague who was under pressure with his final clearance instead of directing it as far as he could into his opponents’ half. It was but one of a number of errors of judgement by WIT players that lost possession at vital moments of the game.
For most of this game there was really only one team in it. Outsiders WIT took control from the start and appeared to have the greater appetite for the fray. They were not at all flattered to lead by 0-5 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter with the amazing Timmy Hammersley taking up where he left off against UL the previous day and accounting for three of his side’s scores.
The WIT defence was very much on top with Shane Fives and Noel Connors in tremendous form despite the last mentioned carrying a shoulder injury into the game. WIT continued to dominate, retaining an unflattering four point lead up to the 29th minute when the genial Hammersley ran on to a breaking ball from a collision of two of his markers and clinically finished to the back of the Galway net for a 1-7 to 03 half time lead.
WIT maintained their dominance for ten minutes into the second half with three points from Hammersley and one from Brian O’Meara outscoring the opposition by four points to two for a nine point lead. A point from a free by Fintan Coone gave the Galway side some hope and when Morey pounced for what had looked an unlikely goal in the 42nd minute the home side suddenly came alive and aided by some favourable refereeing decisions they piled the pressure on the Waterford defence.
Things were not going WIT’s way in the closing quarter but they tenaciously held on to their narrow lead until the final seconds brought the Galway points to take the game to extra time.
In extra time the teams were level on five further occasions with WIT regaining the lead through Hammersley with just three minutes remaining. The Waterford defence continued to defend heroically as the Galway side threw everything forward but once again failure to retain hard won possession in midfield presented the chance to James O’Gorman and he slotted over the equaliser with the clock running down. From the puck out the home side went back on the attack and after some good defending the ball broke to Clare U-21 star John Conlon and he sent over the winning point.
It was a heart breaking defeat for a WIT side, unfancied by anyone before the start of the competition, and for Timmy Hammersley in particular who emerged as the outstanding player of this year’s championship. Two years ago he watched from the sidelines, injured, in Cork as his side beat LIT in that never to be forgotten final and on his return last year his side were denied by a late UCC goal in the semi finals in Dublin after he again had turned in a sparkling display.
It was the same story again this year and if victory had gone to the Waterford side it would certainly have been due in no small way to Hammersley’s performances. Who knows, perhaps now his ability will be acknowledged by the Tipperary selectors.
WIT have won two of the last five Fitzgibbon Cups and, in the years they have not, the trophy has been won by the side that beat them which just goes to show that as the most successful college over the past twenty years they are the side that everyone has to beat to win this coveted trophy such is the tradition that has been established by them.
They confounded all the pundits with a great semi final win over a strongly fancied UL side, laden with inter county stars, on Friday last. They will be back again next year.
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