Trinity Water Polo’s women’s team claimed two decisive wins this weekend, defeating St Vincent’s A and Cathal Brugha to climb to joint-second in the National League. Both games were held in the National Aquatics Centre, and both were close-fought encounters in which Trinity showed grit and resolve to take maximum points.
In the side’s first game against Vincent’s on Saturday evening, it took Trinity no longer than 15 seconds to draw first blood as a goal from Captain Christine Farrelly gave Trinity a 1–0 lead. The two teams then went blow for blow for the remainder of what was an enthralling first quarter as Vincent’s replied a minute later through Niamh O’Meara, followed by a second from Farrelly, restoring Trinity’s lead. The toe-to-toe exchange continued as Trinity doubled their advantage, only for Vincent’s to restore parity at 3–3 minutes later. Farrelly then got her third goal of the match, making it 4–3, followed by a goal from Vincent’s Cliona Colvin again levelling it at 4–4. Nicola Colter-John then made it 5–4 with the first of her five goals in the game.
The side began the second quarter with a penalty, which was converted by Colter-John giving them a 6–4 lead. Vincent’s Eve Lynch was then sent out for 20 seconds and Colter-John took full advantage of it by scoring her third of the day making it 7–4. Cliona Colvin responded by scoring, making it only a 7–5 lead for Trinity. But the lack of discipline from Vincent’s again let them down, as Colvin was sent out for 20 seconds. Griffin Hansen took advantage by scoring, giving Trinity an 8–5 lead at half time.
Three goals ahead in the third quarter, Trinity kept the scoreboard ticking over while shutting out Vincent’s as another penalty from Colter-John, followed by a goal from Hannah McMenamin, meant Trinity had a comfortable 10–5 lead going into the fourth and final quarter. McMenamin and Colvin exchanged goals before Colter-John had the final say, giving Trinity a 12–6 win.
In Trinity’s second encounter of the weekend, against Cathal Brugha, the game opened with a goal from Brugha’s Irene Tenechai. Trinity’s Colter-John took her impressive form into this game levelling the game at 1–1. However, a second goal from Tenechai soon gave Brugha a 2–1 lead. In the second quarter Trinity levelled through Sally McCarthy. Trinity faced an uphill battle, however, as two quick-fire goals gave Brugha a two-goal lead at half-time.
A costly 20-second exclusion for Brugha’s Amy Ross offered Trinity a path back into the game and McCarthy scored twice to punish Brugha’s ill-discipline. However, goals from Brugha’s Orla Monaghan and the third goal of Tenechai’s impressive hat-trick gave Brugha a 6–4 lead. Colter-John then scored to leave the game on a knife edge going into the final quarter at 6–5.
McMenamin opened the quarter with a goal, leaving the two sides level again at 6–6. Trinity dug deep in the last few minutes to find a goal from Farrelly in the final 30 seconds, giving Trinity a dramatic win by just one goal.
The team have three wins from five games in this season’s league campaign, and despite sitting six points behind runaway leaders St Vincent’s B, they will have high hopes of mounting a title challenge. Trinity will hope to claim a third consecutive win against a Clontarf side that’s yet to get any points on the board.
However, if the women’s form provides grounds for optimism, the same cannot be said for the men’s team. The team’s dismal run of form continued at the weekend with a 9–3 loss at the hands of St Vincent’s men’s team. Still winless after five games, Trinity currently sit bottom of Division Two in the league.
