WIT 0-18; UCC 1-10
Waterford Institute of Technology secured a home quarter-final meeting with DIT this Wednesday when they accounted for Richie Foley-captained UCC in their final game in the league section of the competition at the Mardyke last Tuesday.
Tipperary’s Timmy Hammersley was WIT’s best player on the day as he fired over 13 points for the winners, five from play. Nine of UCC’s attackers were as efficient with their shooting; something that could have cost the reigning champions a meeting with the Dublin College in the last eight.
It was WIT who got off to the perfect start. Stephen Moylan breached the WIT defence after just 30 seconds and rasped the ball past Adrian Power in the WIT goal.
After a shaky start, WIT’s Noel Connors, Shane Fives, Wayne Hutchinson and PJ Rowe held UCC at bay, while Hammersley hit seven points in the opening half and his side went in at the break leading by 0-9 to 1-5.
Just had they had in the opening period, UCC began the second half brightly and riffled over two early points courtesy of Bill Beckett and Robert White which put the Leesiders back in front. However, their lead was short lived as WIT hit back and 11 minutes into the second half had doubled their interval advantage.
The standard of hurling began to degenerate after this but still no major daylight could be put between the sides. With 10 minutes to go the result was still in the melting pot as the visitors led by 0-13 to 1-9, with UCC substitute Luke O’Farrell looking dangerous.
However, three points from Timmy Hammersley and Ray McLoughney saw WIT go 0-17 to 1-9 ahead. Farrell hit a point for UCC to cut the deficit to four but it was fitting that it was man-of-the-match Hammersley who had the final say, hitting an insurance point late on.
