Despite a good start for Dublin University Hockey Club (DUHC), keeping the pressure on an occasionally beleaguered home side, Rathgar emerged 3-2 winners in a mid-table clash.
The early stages started evenly, as both teams sought early chances to score, but it was Rathgar’s players who gained the early initiative, dominating early possession as they probed the Trinity defence for weakness. Mark Collins opened the scoring early in the first half with a clever finish. Recycling the ball ably around their back line and passing it deep into Trinity’s half via their right flank, Rathgar’s players had firm control of the flow of the game and repeatedly set up good chances, which Trinity’s strained defence only just managed to fend off. It was eventually a well-worked penalty that gave Rathgar their second goal of the game, secured by Stuart Malcolm.
Rathgar’s focus on their defence and Trinity’s wing-play left their centre exposed, something which Trinity exploited whenever they could. Rory Nichols and Robbie O’Hanlon took particular advantage of this weakness, pulling off a number of promising runs through the middle. However, DUHC’s attack failed to find the incisive pass as their attacks frequently came unstuck around the D, and many of these chances came to nothing.
Despite a noticeable frustration setting into the visiting side, DUHC were able to secure their own goal from a penalty, well taken by Nichols. Both sides began to lose composure heading toward half-time, with the game characterised by uncertain pitch-long passes, sticks snapping off each other and players sliding around left, right and centre on the wet surface.
Half-time saw both teams regain some control. For Rathgar, that meant becoming a bit more aggressive, and while DUHC’s Julian Foley did well to apply pressure to their back line, Rathgar’s Alan White and Shane Gould pressed the attack, with Gould managing to apparently surprise even himself by scoring a goal, which quietly slid in and restored Rathgar’s two-goal cushion.
Maybe it was the newly widened goal difference, but Trinity’s composure again slipped somewhat, particularly on the defensive front. Whilst Rathgar were consistently able to reset their positions, Trinity, in a rush to close the score gap, often left Eoin Buttanshaw doing much of the work at the back, which was proving to be a difficult task. However, as DUHC became increasingly desperate, even Buttanshaw had a crack on the offensive, making it deep into Rathgar’s half as the home side’s defensive deficiencies were laid bare.
The game came alive in the final moments, as both sides sought to use the wet surface to their advantage, even tactically sliding to intercept balls. A Trinity goal from a penalty near the end may have reinvigorated the visiting side, but though opportunities came up as the game petered out, no more goals materialised and the game came to a close with a 3-2 victory to Rathgar.
DUHC did, however, receive a boost this week with the news that Nichols and Buttanshaw have been selected for the Irish Universities squad to face Scotland in a two-game series next month. Wilf King, also of the club, was named first reserve.
