On a blustery Thursday night in Belfield, Trinity’s senior hurlers defied the odds to overcome their most ardent rivals, University College Dublin (UCD), in a truly enthralling game.
The game began with shots exchanged between the sides, UCD firing over soon after the throw in. Trinity, not to be outdone, levelled the scores moments later through a free from Fionn Ó Riain Broin. This was to be an early indicator of the rhythm that this game would take. In a constant tug-of-war for the upper hand, the teams traded blows both on the pitch and on the scoreboard.
Through the game’s rough and tumble, moments of class shone through. Both Ó Riain Broin and Donncha Butler showed glimpses of what they’re capable of with beautifully taken points to reel in a scoreline gap that was threatening to widen.
In games of this nature every score seems a turning point, but Mike Kelly’s goal to put Trinity two points ahead 15 minutes in was invaluable to a Trinity side who lost Jack O’Neill to a red card moments later.
Now depleted, Trinity’s defence were scrutinised for the remainder of the game, with Eoin Skelly pulling off a number of outstanding saves to keep his clean sheet unblemished. Despite this, UCD put their numerical advantage to work, reeling off three points without reply as the game reached its half-way mark with the hosts leading 1-9 to 0-13.
Trinity, though, took full advantage of the break to re-organise themselves. Despite an early UCD point, the visitors’ offensive endeavour was boundless as Ó Riain Broin drove over a free followed by high-calibre scores from Cian O’Sullivan and Mike Kelly. With the game now in the balance at 1-12 to 0-15, it reverted to its early rhythm as both sides traded scores over the course of the next 10 minutes. Opening up a two-point lead through a monstrous Eoghan McNamara point, Trinity were quickly placed on the back foot once more as, after a mistimed tackle, UCD scored the goal they had been threatening to all evening through a well-taken penalty.
The crowd in Belfield were on tenterhooks as the game veered violently into its final chapter, before Butler landed the game’s defining score, crashing through the UCD defence to smash home a second Trinity goal. Both sides traded points for the rest of the game, but UCD needed a goal and failed to get it. The referee’s whistle heralded a victory that will prove to both the rest of Division 1 and to Trinity themselves that they are more than capable of producing results at this the most elite of levels. The game ended in Belfield with a 2-20 to 1-19 victory for Trinity.
