UCC complete first Collingwood-Harding double in style

Trinity College Dublin 1 University College Cork 3

UCC picked up a second Irish Universities Collingwood Cup in five years and their 12th overall when they proved too strong for Trinity College in the decider at Eamon Deacy Park, Terryland yesterday.

The 3-1 scoreline in favour of the impressive Cork side fairly reflects their almost total dominance of this final that proved to be a game too far for the Trinity boys, who were in action for the fourth time in four days in the testing conditions that prevailed in Galway since last Monday, while UCC, with the help of a first round bye had a game less to play.

The win came as sweet success for UCC manager Noel Healy and his coach Conor Uhl who were part of John Caulfield’s management team when UCC last won the Collingwood Cup in 2011 on Caulfield’s first attempt and the Healy and Uhl combination can now celebrate after emulating that feat on their initial stint in charge.

‘I’m so proud and delighted to have regained the Collingwood Cup for UCC, it’s a very difficult tournament to win with the games coming thick and fast but the whole experience as been an amazing journey for this group who have given up so much to achieve this success’ explained Healy.

For UCC the year so far in Colleges and Universites football has been a tremendous success with their Freshers side claiming the Irish Universites Harding Cup earlier this month to complete a first ever Harding Collingwood double and ensure a steady flow of talented players coming through for the future.

Calvin O’Callaghan had UCC in front after 20 minutes when he beat Trinity ’keeper David Minihane with a low effort after Daniel Pender had knocked the ball into the UCC striker’s path following good work by Conor Barry out on the left flank.

It was the first goal Cork native Minihane, who celebrated his 21st birthday during the week, had conceded in his four starts.

The impressive UCC always looked the much stronger side and there seemed no way back for the fast tiring Trinity outfit when Pender added a second eight minutes into the second-half with a neat finish from a tight angle after half time substitute Cathal Lordan saw Minihan save his close range strike. However, Trinity summoned up a final burst of energy and had a short spell when first John McDonagh failed to test UCC ’keeper Charlie Bornemann from an Aymen Ben Mohammed cross.

While minutes later Bornemann easily gathered a Cormac O’Neill header after a Darren O’Donoghue free kick and then saved well from McDonagh’s well directed strike.

That was as good as it got for Trinity and Rufus Holmes went on to seal the Cork win two minutes from the finish heading home from a Lordan cross, shortly after replacing Brian Murphy.

Trinty did get a consolation Ciaran McGahon goal from the penalty spot in time added on and Minihane received a nice birthday present after been named Player of the Tournament.

TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN: D Minihan; C Medlar (G Walsh 83), C Moran, C O’Neill, D Vogel (E Vaughan 46); B O’Reilly (M Collins 46), C McGahon, L Ware (J McDonagh 46), D O’Donoghue, A Ben Mohammed; A Hughes.

Subs: J Yates, A Nevin, J Delahunt.

UCC: C Bornemann; A Gannon (P O’Riordan 89), C Hill, S O’Mahony, C Murphy (I Mylod 89): S O’Callaghan (C Lordan 46), D Pender , J Abbott, B Murphy (R Holmes 87), J Abbott, C Barry (M Murphy 89); C O’Callaghan.

Subs: J Bridgeman, J O’Mahony.

Referee: M Lynch (Galway).