Ronan McGeehin plays big role as Ulster University edge past UL in Sigerson thriller

Donegal native and St Eunan’s goalkeeper Ronan McGeehin played a crucial role for Ulster University as they secured a nail-biting victory over the University of Limerick to advance to the quarter-finals of this year’s Sigerson Cup on Wednesday.

McGeehin’s composed performance in goal was instrumental in the defending champions’ 1-10 to 1-9 win at the Abbotstown venue.

The reigning champions, Ulster University, were made to work for their place in the last eight, with the decisive moment coming in stoppage time when Danny Magill’s heroic block denied UL’s Darragh Cashman a potential equaliser. The subsequent counterattack resulted in a vital insurance point from Charlie Diamond.

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McGeehin’s St Eunan’s teammate, Ciaran Moore, also part of the Ulster University panel, did not feature in this game but remains an important player for the squad as they aim to retain their title.

The game began with Ulster University’s Conor Cush dominating up front, registering two early points to establish a lead on the pristine Abbotstown pitch. However, despite their dominance in possession, UU failed to convert their superiority into a commanding advantage. UL capitalised on this, with standout scores from Darragh Cashman giving them a narrow 0-6 to 0-5 lead at the interval.

The match remained tense in the third quarter until Pádraig White’s long-range effort struck the upright, allowing Jack McCabe to pounce and find the net for UL. However, the champions responded almost immediately, with Cush sliding a low shot past UL goalkeeper Billy Hogan to level the score.

From there, UU had opportunities to pull clear but struggled with their finishing, recording two wides and two shots that fell short. The teams traded scores late on, with Conal Dawson and Josh Largo Ellis keeping the game finely balanced heading into the closing stages.

The decisive block from Magill and the subsequent score from Diamond gave Ulster University the edge, with a late point from Cian McHale for UL coming too late to force extra time.

As the tournament progresses, McGeehin and the UU squad will look to sharpen their performance and continue their pursuit of back-to-back Sigerson Cup titles.