COLLINGWOOD CUP FINAL UCD 1 Mary Immaculate 0:A NIALL Hanley header on 12 minutes proved enough to give UCD another Irish Universities Collingwood Cup title in the decider against Mary Immaculate College, Limerick – the surprise package of the annual four-day tournament played at the University of Limerick.
Kilmallock-born Hanley is quickly beginning to prove a big match winner for the Belfield side.Last season as a first-year student the midfielder struck the only goal late in the game to clinch a Harding Cup victory for UCD over NUI Maynooth.
The Limerick native who played his underage football with the St Michael’s club in Tipperary took great delight in heading the Collingwood Cup winner on his home soil.
Strong early UCD pressure had forced Mary Immaculate to defend in numbers with most of the danger coming from right-winger Stephen Doyle who was always a constant threat getting past full-back Greg Kennedy on a couple of occasions to deliver some well-placed crosses.
An early well-struck Doyle corner was met by UCD full-back Tristan Dent but he put his header wide of Bobby Carroll’s post.
Shortly afterwards UCD went ahead. This time it was Barry McDonald who fired in a corner on the right and Hanley rose high above the defenders to place a firm header well out of Carroll’s reach.
Michael Arnold was unlucky with a half chance as Mary Immaculate battled to make an impression.
UCD almost had a second goal midway through the half. Ross King worked hard to force another corner on the right but centre-back Cormac O’Brochlain failed to hit the target putting his header from McDonald’s well-taken effort just over the crossbar.
Mary Immaculate created very little and UCD goalkeeper Mark McGinley was only tested once in the opening half when a Peter Lane free kick from distance hit the side-netting.
UCD had another great chance to double the lead coming up to the break. King did all the good work to beat defenders Ian Hughes and John Hutton but his low drive rebounded clear off the foot of the Mary Immaculate upright.
The second half proved to be much of a stalemate with no real chances falling for either side. McGinley had to punch clear from Cormac Crowe’s inswinging corner as Mary Immaculate tried to exert some pressure on UCD and later Kennedy fired a high free into the UCD area but substitute Niall Wright came to McGinley’s rescue to head clear.
UCD’s only effort of note in the half came from Seán Buckley with a fierce drive that Hughes managed to block.
Both sides began to show the affects of playing several successive days of stamina-sapping football and Mary Immaculate, who were making their first appearance in a Collingwood Cup final, can take plenty of pride from their performances during the week.
UCD have Mark Langtry, named player of the tournament, to thank for rescuing them with late goals in their opening round games against DCU and NUI Maynooth.
UCD: M McGinley; T Dent, C O'Brochlain, M Leahy, M Langtry; S Doyle (S Sexton 80), N Hanley (B McCabe 71), S Buckley, B McDonald (N Wright 75); R King (C Morrisson 78), M Arnold. Subs not used: R Keogh, B O'Brochlain, C McGroarty.
MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE: B Carroll; I Lynskey, I Hughes, J Hutton, G Kennedy; D Kirwan (C McGettigan 66, M Meade 80), D Higgins, P Pender; P Lane, C Crowe; D Heneghan (D O'Shea 68, J Duncan 80). Subs not used: E Keenan, E O'Neill, K Gleeson.
Referee: G Clancy(Limerick).
