DCU bow out of the Sigerson Cup despite Shane O'Donnell landing three points

The Sigerson Cup quarter-final saw DCU Donegal players Shane O'Donnell and Jamie Grant narrowly defeated by the University of Limerick despite O'Donnell making a significant contribution in scoring 0-3 for DCU.
University of Limerick 0-14 Dublin City University 1-10  

In addition, two other Donegal natives, Johnny McGroddy and Ross Marley, found themselves on the bench for the Dublin-based side during the match.  

This encounter unfolded as University of Limerick (UL) secured a one-point victory, marking their second consecutive close win in the tournament. But the UL team, despite their consistency in recent years, is yet to clinch the Sigerson Cup title. 

Under the guidance of coach Declan Brouder, UL maintained a lead throughout the game on their home turf, initially racing to a 0-4 lead within the first five minutes. Frank Irwin's two successful attempts, coupled with points from Daniel Walsh and Ciaran Downes, provided an early advantage for the Limerick side. 

However, DCU staged a strong comeback towards the end of the first half. Despite UL leading 0-7 to 0-6 at half-time, Shane O'Donnell's three points, along with contributions from Rúairí Keane and Joseph Hagan, kept DCU within striking distance. 

UL faced setbacks with the loss of skipper Mark Dempsey to a black card, allowing DCU to level the score from the resulting free. Nevertheless, UL responded with three points of their own during a 10-minute spell, courtesy of Paul Keaney's accurate frees. 

Despite DCU's efforts, they couldn't narrow the gap beyond a single point. A counter-attacking move led by Cian O'Grady secured the decisive insurance score for UL, ensuring they crossed the finish line with a hard-fought victory. 

Scorers - University of Limerick: J Keaney 0-5, 4 fs; F Irwin 0-3; C Downes 0-2; D Walsh, C Glennon, S McDonnell, C O’Grady 0-1 each. Dublin City University: S Baker 1-1; S O’Donnell 0-3; S Walsh 0-2; M Costello, R Keane, J Hagan, K Quinn 0-1 each. 
 
University of Limerick: C Flaherty; C Moriarty, M Dempsey, C Keogh; D Cashman, C Glennon, D Walsh; C Ryan, B McNamara; F Irwin, P Keaney, S McDonnell; P Walsh, J McCabe, C Downes. Subs: E O’Riordan for Glennon (43); C McHale for McDonnell (46); L Murphy for P Walsh (51); C O’Grady for McCabe (60), J Fallon for Downes (62). 

Dublin City University: C McGuinness; B Masterson, S Fitzgerald, J Grant; R Keane, P Hughes, C Caulfield; M Costello, R Donohoe; S O’Donnell, S Walsh, K McGann; K Quinn, J Hagan, C Corbett.