UCG spring surprise

Trinity opened their challenge for their third successive Chilean Cup success with two victories on the first day of the Intervarsities…

Trinity opened their challenge for their third successive Chilean Cup success with two victories on the first day of the Intervarsities in Dublin yesterday. But UCG, who proved to be the surprise team of the day, matched the feat. Goals from Linda Caulfield and Emma Dowling gave Trinity a 2-0 win over Queen's in the day's first fixture, and later in the afternoon they beat DCU 5-0, with Anya Bowers and Louise O'Hagan scoring two apiece.

A second-half penalty stroke from Orla Cunningham gave UCG victory over DCU, and they went on to produce the day's biggest upset by beating UCD 2-1; Lisa Codd scored the winner for the Galway students with just five minutes to go.

Trinity and UCG top Pool A and look good bets for a place in tomorrow's semi-finals, where Pool B's UCC and the Universities of Limerick and Ulster will hope to meet them. UCC, who were the Chilean Cup winners in 1995 and '96, drew their only game of the day, against Ulster, 2-2.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times