On a chilly Sunday evening in Wesley College, Dublin University Hockey (DUHC) lost out 3-0 to EYHL side YMCA Hockey Club in the first round Mills Cup, in a game that the hosts controlled from the outset.
The first half was fairly uneventful, with YMCA completely dominating possession and creating all the opportunities. Eighteen minutes in they nearly went ahead after a bullet of a shot went sailing just wide of the Trinity net. Five minutes later YMCA went ahead, managing to get it past Trinity keeper Michael Herlihy after some confusion in Trinity’s circle. Trinity struggled to create any meaningful chances and were lucky not to be a few down going into half-time.
YMCA handily closed out the game in the second half. Moments in, they had a goal disallowed, which was followed soon after by their second. It wasn’t long before they had their third, this time from a short corner. At this point, there was no way back for Trinity although they did still continue to knock on YMCA’s door.
Patrick Temperley did his best up front to inject some energy into the attack, but Trinity were pinned back in their half for most of the game. Confronted overall with a distinct lack of movement, however, Samuel Boggio’s aerials did not stick for DUHC. YMCA’s near-constant possession was debilitating for the college side. Herlihy did well in goal and made some great saves, keeping the scoreline respectable.
YMCA are currently rooted to the bottom of the EYHL. Nevertheless, the difference between an EYHL and Division One side was pretty obvious. Trinity were also playing their second game of the weekend, having drawn 2-2 with Kilkenny in the Irish Senior Cup on Saturday, making a tough fixture even harder. In Division 1 of the Leinster League, DUHC’s search for a win goes on, as they take on Dublin North on November 3rd.
