College Park hosted a charity football game today, organised by Trinity students raising money for the Simon Community. The game was part of the Hope Project launched by Enactus. Tara McNeil and Anthony Madden, two members of the Simon Community, had trained the two teams made up of Trinity students for the past two weeks.
The match drew a big crowd around the football pitch in front of the Berkeley Library and although it was billed as a charity match, both teams were very much up for the game.
Madden’s team, wearing white, struck first on the 20-minute mark, Pearse Traynor bagging his team’s first goal. This was followed up five minutes later by another goal from Traynor. McNeil’s side, sporting green tops, rallied after this and managed to bag two goals within the space of two minutes. An own goal from a green shirt edged Madden’s team ahead going into half-time.
McNeil’s team started the second half well. Ten minutes after the break, the greens were awarded a penalty, which they failed to capitalise on. The whites hit back with a screamer putting them two goals ahead. They added another to their tally with five minutes to go. McNeil’s players did not stop fighting and with a few minutes to go they were awarded another penalty. This time they buried the chance and then snagged another a minute later.
The greens came close to tying the match but in the end Madden’s team were able to hold out and win 5-4.
Speaking to The University Times, fourth year Clara King, one of the main organisers of the event alongside Sorcha Sheil and Scott Byrne, explained that it was “a collaborative effort between ourselves and the Simon Community” adding that “it’s been great”.
Before the game, Dillon Hennessy, one of the players, elaborated: “[The match is] the culmination of a lot of weeks of practice and there’s been some very nice charitable donations as well.”
In total the students raised approximately €2,000 for the Simon Community.
