Dublin University Association Football Club (DUAFC) extended their undefeated streak with an impressive league victory as they beat Hartstown Huntstown FC 0-3 in Hartstown Park yesterday.
DUAFC are the only team in the Leinster Senior Sunday 1B League with a 100 per cent win ratio. The win yesterday comes on the back of a 3-1 win against Peamount United and a 5-0 thrashing of Mt Merrion FC away from home in the league. This victory will be a major confidence boost for the team who lie second in the table as they beat the league leaders who have played two games more. This is precisely the start to the season the team would have been hoping for following their fall from the 1A League last year.
The match couldn’t have gotten off to a better start with DUAFC scoring inside of the first minute. Oisín Pennycook, full of belief after scoring a goal against Leixlip United in the first round of the FAI Intermediate Cup on Sunday, scored with a beautiful solo effort. Pennycook nabbed the ball just past the halfway line and skilfully got by the defence before slotting the ball into the left side of the goal.
This goal didn’t lessen the intensity of the match as neither team were given any time to rest. Hartstown immediately looked for redemption, and with tensions running high, DUAFC centre-back Ciaran Maguire was involved in an off-the-ball incident resulting in a straight red card. DUAFC did well under pressure despite being a man down. Hartstown were left to rue their inability to capitalise on this advantage as they too were shown a red card for another off-the-ball incident a mere 15 minutes later.
The red hot partnership of Oisin Pennycook and Ronan Hanaphy showed just how lethal they can be as they sliced away at the Hartstown’s defence. As he soared down the left wing, Pennycook pulled back a cross which Hanaphy managed to convert from the back post with a left foot finish to claim his second league goal of the season.
The second half began with as much aggression and tenacity as the first. Both teams had opportunities to score and both put in their share of well-timed challenges as the game opened up. The only goal of the second half came when Dean Gaynor scored a sublime header from a corner. In the final minutes DUAFC were relentless in their pursuit of more goals, with a few near misses, but ultimately the game finished 3-0. No team has managed to score more than a goal against DUAFC in the league and the clean sheet yesterday is a credit to the defence, especially given that they lost a centre back so early in the match.
