Dublin University Association Football Club (DUAFC) were unable to make it two wins on the trot in Division 1A of the Leinster Senior Sunday League, after suffering a 5-1 defeat to the hands of Inchicore Athletic Football Club in Bernard Curtis Park on Friday evening. It was not a game the DUAFC players will want to remember, with the heaviness of the defeat compounded by the concession of a penalty and an own goal.
After a rather scrappy start from both sides, it was Trinity who created the first few chances. Inside the first 10 minutes, midfielder Cian Dunne elegantly evaded a tackle and darted forward before linking up with captain Ronan Hanaphy, whose shot from outside the box needed saving. Trinity continued to test the Inchicore keeper. Brian O’Reilly quickly followed Hanaphy’s effort with a powerfully arrowed shot that flew just wide of the bottom left-hand corner.
Inchicore grew into the game, testing DUAFC’s defence with their own smattering of opportunities and, on the 20-minute mark, they opened the scoring. Trinity were punished for not dealing with the home side’s first corner, which flew over everyone’s head, only to be swung back in and buried into the left-hand corner.
Trinity seemed determined to bounce back quickly from the restart. However, the home side were purring with confidence after scoring their first, and DUAFC keeper Devin Conolly was called upon on more than one occasion, in one instance acrobatically touching the ball over the bar from a sweetly struck strike.
A second goal was coming, and it did just before half-time, in a manner very similar to the first. A lobbed cross found its way to the back post and a loitering attacker slotted the ball into the same corner.
A strong start out of the blocks was required if Trinity were to get back into the game. This they delivered, with a burst of rapid attacks that were impressive in both speed and execution. Their hard work paid off on the stroke of the hour when Hanaphy calmly rounded the keeper for an easy tap-in after a brilliantly weighted through ball from Jason Boateng.
The goal, however, served only as a fleeting glimmer of hope, as Inchicore barrelled forward with attack after attack, unfazed by this minor set-back. Less than 10 minutes after Hanaphy’s goal, they won a penalty after a clumsy challenge inside the box. Connolly dived right while the ball went straight down the middle to restore Inchicore’s two-goal advantage.
The fourth came shortly after when an Inchicore corner missed everyone’s head and bounced off the foot of the unfortunate Dan Kane. The ball was nestling in the back of the net before DUAFC’s left-back could even react. Inchicore’s fifth – and perhaps the softest – goal came in the 85th minute, the Trinity defence undoubtedly keen to get in from the cold and escape the onslaught.
The result is disappointing from a Trinity perspective but Inchicore were just that bit sharper when it came to taking their chances. DUAFC, who sit ninth in the league, will play Templeogue United FC on March 27th bidding to make mid-table their own.
