Killian Roche was to the fore last night as UCD advanced to the Sigerson Cup final following a dramatic penalty shoot out.
The Killeshin man was between the sticks as they got the better of TUD in the National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown.
With this competition being played under the old rules, defences were on top throughout.
UCD led 0-3 to 0-1 at half time but TUD came back to draw level as we approached full time.
It looked like Killian Roche had won it for UCD when he kicked a long range score but a Darragh Lovett free later forced the game into extra-time.
UCD scored a goal in extra time and Roche kicked a 45 but TUD continued to plug away and went ahead as the game reached its conclusion.
Leitrim star Barry McNulty, who Laois will face on Saturday, registered a mark with the final kick for UCD to send the game to penalties.
The penalty shootout saw TU Dublin convert their first two spot-kicks, while UCD scored their first and missed their second.
Roche then kept UCD in it as he dived to deny Sean Jones and keeping UCD in the contest but UCD had their next penalty saved.
UCD found themselves on the brink of elimination when TU Dublin’s Jordan Morris coolly slotted home to make it 3-1.
Barry McNulty kept UCD alive before Roche pulled off another superb save, this time denying Darragh Lovett.
Roche then scored his own penalty to leave it 3-3 and send the game to sudden death.
Roche pulled off another save and then had the chance to win it but his second penalty was saved by Jack Rodgers.
But TUD missed their next penalty and Ben O’Carroll made amends for his previous miss to send UCD to the final.
They will face the winners of DCU, with Killeshin’s Conor Heffernan representing them, and University of Ulster.
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