Dublin University Association Football Club (DUAFC) made it five wins on the trot in all competitions with a 3-1 victory over Leicester Celtic in Santry at the weekend.
A poor playing surface and bitter conditions made it a slightly sloppy affair. Both teams struggled to play flowing football, with DUAFC especially failing to control the tempo of the game as the team has done on so many occasions this season.
The scoring was opened on the 20-minute mark when a Leicester Celtic cross found an unmarked man who headed it past goalkeeper Devin Connolly to make it 1-0.
DUAFC’s first-half performance was not one of its stronger showings of the season, characterised by sloppy passing and an inability to retain possession. Meanwhile, Leicester Celtic played a direct, attacking style of football. This, coupled with the team’s hard work in closing down Trinity players and loose balls, saw DUAFC’s players go into the half-time break with the lead.
DUAFC started the second-half well, keeping the ball better and looking more composed in their passing. This was rewarded early on when the referee awarded a penalty after Muhanned Bukhatwa was taken down in the area. Bukhatwa stepped up and placed it in to the top left corner to make it 1-1.
Midway through the second-half, Ronan Hanaphy came on as a substitute marking his first appearance in nearly two months after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury. Hanaphy made a big difference, giving DUAFC the direct threat that they had lacked while he was injured. It didn’t take him long to make his mark on the game, with a curled effort from outside the box finding the top left corner in spectacular fashion.
On top of an impressive offensive showing in the second-half, Trinity’s defence was also strong, giving away little to Leicester Celtic’s attackers and ensuring an easy second-half for goalkeeper Devin Connolly.
Victory was then sealed with Bukhatwa proving prolific once again. His shot took a deflection off Mark Wadid, wrong-footing the goalkeeper, to make it 3-1 to DUAFC despite complaints to the referee that Wadid was offside.
The three points leaves DUAFC in second place in the division, one point behind Mullingar Athletic with two games in hand.
Trinity’s next challenge comes on Tuesday with a relegation six-pointer away to NUI Galway in the Colleges and Universities Football League (CUFL). It is a must-win game for DUAFC as the team seeks to stay afloat in the CUFL Premier Division.
