THIS group B tie at the IT grounds, Carlow, yesterday provided a shoot-out between the respective centre forwards – the home side’s TJ Reid and NUIG’s Niall Burke. Kilkenny senior star Reid shot 0-9, eight from placed balls, while Burke, the Oranmore-Maree clubman, was the game’s top scorer, with 0-11, three of his points coming from play.

With the game in injury-time NUIG, a point in arrears, earned a 20-metre free to the right of the Carlow goal. Niall Burke had a point for the taking but opted to go for a winning goal. His fierce shot was smothered by a packed IT defence and the final whistle sounded soon afterwards.

Carlow led 0-11 to 0-7 at the interval and were never headed in a hard-fought tie, the outcome of which means both sides go through to the knock-out stages of the Fitzgibbon. But Carlow’s victory will givethem home advantage.

IT CARLOW: E Mealey; J Culhane, D Kenny, J Carroll; B Harding (0-1), D Shaw, J Rigney; P Hally (0-1), R Doyle; C Kenny (0-4), T J Reid (0-9, 6 frees, 2 65s), O Walsh (0-1); T Carroll (0-1), N Foyle, J Maher. Subs: P J Carroll for Culhane (38 mins); P Walsh for Halley (53 mins); E Fitzpatrick for Kenny (57 mins).

NUIG: D Tuohy; C Diviney, E Fahy, S McCormack; M Kelly, D Kenny (0-1), P Kelly; D Burke, J P O'Connell; D Higgins, N Burke (0-11, 0-8 frees), E Hayes; R Shanahan (1-0), K Downes, S Quinlan (0-1).

Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath).