Collingwood holders UCC aim to lift campus after spring sporting struggles

By Dylan O Connell

Atop the freshly tailored Mardyke pitch, UCC’s defence of the Collingwood Cup gets under way tomorrow, with the Leesiders awaiting the winners of Ulster University and Maynooth University in the quarter finals.

In what will certainly be an arduous task to win the much-coveted trophy, UCC will also be facing the extra task of emulating perfection, with the Leesiders coming into the tournament on the back of a historic 2014-2015 season.

In what was a year of successes, UCC began the year by winning the Munster Senior League title. The Freshers then picked up the Harding Cup with the Junior Side winning the Crowley Cup, and then, after a dominant display against a spirited Trinity College UCC captured the Collingwood Cup.

Atop these successes, the college also progressed past League of Ireland opposition Cobh Ramblers and Wexford Youths to set up a quarter final clash against League of Ireland Champions Dundalk at the Mardyke.

In 90 minutes, the students played with their hearts on their sleeves, closing down every ball, throwing their hearts on the line for the skull and cross bones, but the sheer quality of Dundalk shone through in a 5-0 score line at the Mardyke.

UCC manager Noel Healy knows the challenge ahead. An FAI Cup winner with Cork City, Healy knows what it takes to win and how to drive a team on. A selector on John Caulfield’s victorious Collingwood side in 2011, Healy knows how to foster a winning mentality in a team and how to get the best out of his young players.

Never one for a settled starting XI, Healy believes in firm group unity, with the manager believing in having a full 23 man squad in every team photo, fostering a group spirit and galvanising the team spirit. This sense of unity was a huge factor in the 2015 campaign, coupled with the qualities of a young hungry team.

UCC come into tomorrow’s game in a mixed run of form. While the seniors are on the back of a 5-1 win against Mayfield United, shadows still remain of the college’s dramatic exit from the Harding Cup. While the Freshers A slumped to a 2-1 loss against UL in the opening round, the Freshers B team faced an 8-0 hammering against UCD only hours later.

Away from the beautiful game, 2016 has been a rather lacklustre year across the college, with the hurlers failing to make it out of their Fitzgibbon group, the footballers getting beaten up UCD on a gulf scoreline of 3-11 to 1-9.

Even in camogie the ladies couldn’t muster a smile across campus, with the Leesiders losing out on the Ashbourne Cup after a valiant display against UL, only to lose by a single point on a score line of 4-07 to 3-12. For a university of 18,000 students stretched across four colleges and 58 clubs, silverware is a must.