Niall Kelly brace helps UCD ease past UL to make Independent.ie Sigerson Cup decider

A star-studded UCD side blitzed UL to book a place in Saturday's Sigerson Cup final with Kildare forward Niall Kelly scoring two goals a one-sided rout.

UCD, who haven't won the competition for 20 years, coasted through Friday's semi-final, which was effectively over after 16 minutes when they scored the opening 2-5 without reply.

Tipp's Liam Casey scored a second minute goal and Laois' Eoin Lowry ran through a porous Limerick defence to drill a rocket across the goalkeeper after 13 minutes.

Dublin star Paul Mannion hit two points from play, with Westmeath star John Heslin nailing four frees in the first half.

Aidan Roan finally got UL, who'd narrowly beaten Queen's University in the quarter-finals, on the board with an 18th minute point.

But it was temporary respite, Kildare's Niall Kelly drilling home the first of his two goals in the 20th minute, helping John Divilly's side lead by 3-9 to 0-2 at the break.

UL had the wind in the second half and with UCD running their bench they were at least able to make a better game of it after the break.

Kerry's Brian O Se was on target from play and from dead balls, nailing a '45' and a free.

Niall Kelly grabbed his second goal after intercepting a poor pass to the UL goalkeeper in the 48th minute.

Galway's Ian Burke scored UL's only goal in the 54th minute with a low left-footed finish.

Scorers for UCD – N Kelly 2-0, J Heslin 0-5 (4), L Casey 1-1, E Lowry 1-1 (one '45'), P Mannion 0-3 (1f), C McCarthy, T Moolick 0-1 each

Scorers for UL – B O Se 0-4 (1f, 1 '45'), I Burke 1-0, D Daly 0-2, A Roan, R Deane 0-1 each, K Moore 0-1 (f)

UCD: E Keogh (Laois); R Wylie (Monaghan), D Hyland (Kildare), M Fitzsimons (Dublin); S O'Dea (Limerick), D Byrne (Dublin), J McCaffrey (Dublin); J Barry (Kerry), L Casey (Tipperary); N Kelly (Kildare), J McEntee (Meath), C McCarthy (Monaghan); J Heslin (Westmeath); E Lowry (Laois), P Mannion (Dublin)

Subs: N McInerney (Roscommon) for McCaffrey (15), S Coen (Mayo) for Hyland (HT), P Kingston (Laois) for McCarthy (HT), R Carr (Louth) for Mannion (40), T Moolick (Kildare) for Kelly (51)

UL: C O'Driscoll (Cork); E Kelly (Kerry), C Long (Kerry), P O'Connor (Kerry); A Roan (Longford), D Daly (Kerry), F Boland (Mayo); G Hegarty (Limerick), R Deane (Cork); D Neville (Limerick), S Killoran (Roscommon), C Sheehan (Limerick); I Burke (Galway), K Moore (Limerick), B O Se (Kerry)

Subs: D Larkin (Wexford) for Hegarty (20), P White (Limerick) for F Boland (22), L Boland (Tipperary) for Larkin (BC, 26), S Naughton (Limerick) for Moore (44), C O'Dea (Limerick) for Killoran (45), N Donovan (Tipperary) for Daly (51)

REFEREE: Ciaran Branagan (Down)

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