Published: Wednesday, 3rd March, 2010 4:00pm

Cavan players help DCU to Sigerson Cup crown

DCU players Ray Cullivan, Micheal Lyng, Sean Johnston, Ronan Flanagan and Dermot Sheridan with the Sigerson Cup.

It was a good weekend for Cavan's DCU contingent as they emerged comfortable four point victors over UCC in Leixlip on Saturday.

After seeing off host-college Maynooth on the Friday with the help of Dermot Sheridan, Ronan Flanagan, Michael Lyng and Ray Cullivan, the Dublin College entered the final as heavy favourites.

On the same day, UCC ended Raymond Galligan's hopes of making it to the last two, as they overcame a determined but limited Athlone IT.

DCU, aiming to add to their only over Sigerson Cup title which they picked up in 2006, were without top-forward Sean Johnston but with the likes of Dublin's Paul Flynn and Sligo's David Kelly up front they were not short on quality.

Dermot Sheridan lined out at midfield and did a lot of honest work, while Flanagan was also a key cog in a well-oiled machine - helping to link defence to attack.

Flanagan was in possession several times early and the first point of the match came about when his attempted point dropped short to Flynn, who made no mistake with his effort.

The Dublin college stayed in control and edged into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead with Kevin O'Driscoll getting UCC's opening score.

In a low-quality half, DCU did just enough to keep the score-board ticking over and took a three point lead in at the interval.

After the break it was much the same as UCC failed to breakdown a solid DCU rearguard.

Points were then traded but when Meath's Brian Sheridan rattled the back of the net to make it 1-08 to 0-06 it looked game over. However, UCC rallied and hit back with three unanswered points with David Goold impressing.

Cullivan and Lyng entered proceedings late on but it was Dermot Sheridan who helped secure the victory as his long ball over the top found his name-sake Brian.

The full-forward was hauled down and took the penalty himself but he sensibly chose to tap it over the bar to put four between them approaching full-time.

And Kelly rounded off a superb move in injury-time to make sure it was a good afternoon for the four Cavan players and the rest of the team.

"I think to be fair to the bunch of lads, people come to DCU as undergraduate students and during their four or five years, they develop and mature as football players and make their county teams," said coach Dr Niall Moyna.

"There's a perception out there that they arrive into DCU as inter-county senior footballers and that's not the case. They're a great group of guys, they've worked very hard and this is just reward for the work they've put in this year.

"(In the quarter-final) we beat a Cork IT team, a team of stars (with) five players that played in the All-Ireland final. We don't have anyone of that quality. But for some reason we have got this tag," he added.

DCU : M Boyle (Donegal); P McMahon (Dublin), K Gavin (Westmeath), K Nolan (Dublin); J Cooper (Dublin), B Cullen (Dublin), D Mooney (Monaghan); D Sheridan (Monaghan), H McGrillen (Kildare); R Flanagan (Cavan), P Flynn (Dublin), C Cregg (Roscommon); P Andrews (Dublin), B Sheridan (Meath), D Kelly (Sligo). Subs: H Gill (Dublin) for Cooper (43), M Lyng (Cavan) for Cregg (54).