Preview | UL look to book Fitzgibbon Cup Final spot as they face hosts IT Carlow

With both sides producing excellent performances so far, UL vs IT Carlow is sure to be a titanic contest.

Six-time Champions UL will be looking to continue in their bid to earn another title as they take on Carlow IT in the semi-finals of the competition on Thursday evening. Carlow IT are two time finalists, losing out to Mary I in 2017 and UCC in 2020.

UL are managed by Limerick’s Brian Ryan and have a healthy sprinkling of local talent sprinkled throughout with Brian O’Grady, Rory Duff and Conor O’Grady all featuring in their quarter-final win.

NUIG secured their place in the final with a 1-26 to 3-18 win over GMIT on Wednesday with Hurler of the Year Cian Lynch instrumental for the Galway college, chipping in with a pair of scores and setting up countless others.

Judging from their performances throughout the campaign, UL look to be in fine form, scoring twelve goals in this campaign already.

They began the 2022 Fitzgibbon Cup season by drubbing neighbours TUS MidWest by virtue of a 5-30 to 0-14 win. This was followed by a 5-25 to 1-14 win over TU Dublin that booked their passage into the last eight.

They defeated MTU Cork in the quarter finals with green flags from Mikey Kiely and Mark Rodgers helping them to a 2-22 to 1-19 victory.

UL have rarely looked in trouble en route to the semi-finals, their first venture into the final four for the first time since 2018 when they were last crowned champions.

UL’s semi-final opponents, IT Carlow managed to earn their revenge against UCC in the quarter-finals as they beat the back-to-back champions by 1-17 to 0-14.

Rory Higgins hit the net for the hosts who were 1-11 to 0-8 ahead at the half with the Cork side losing Padraig Power to a red.

In the quarter-final, IT Carlow were down to 14-men when Jerry Kelly saw red but DJ Carey’s men held on to set up the titanic clash between two teams in excellent form.

That victory followed wins over Maynooth and WIT in the group stages where they also played out a draw with DCU.

UL are slight favourites to advance to the final but Carlow IT will have home advantage.

UL take on IT Carlow in the Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final on Thursday February 17 at in IT Carlow 7:30pm.