An excellent performance in front of goal saw the Freshers football team run out hugely comfortable 13-point-winners against local rivals DIT on Thursday last.
The home side wasted little team in carving out an early lead, posing a litany of questions that their opponents never looked like answering. Despite passages of erratic shooting, the boys in yellow and navy racked up an impressive 2-4 in the opening 20 minutes with the diligent Conor McHugh among the chief contributors.
In relatively benign conditions, the contest was won and lost not by poor kicking, but the aerial battle, which pitted the DCU midfield against the towering figure of DIT’s Conor Grimes. The physical presence tabled by Grimes, time and again, was enough to barge through the centre as he landed three points from open play.
That said, as the match progressed DCU began to display glimpses of their real potential. Dominant in the air, the half-back line were hungrier in the scavenge for possession, providing the platform for a plethora of second half scores.
Unable to cope with wave after wave of attack, the visitors’ defence began to creak. DIT weren’t enjoying much look at the other end either, with Shane Matthews the only forward on show to make any impression on the scoreboard.
Marshalling DCU’s rearguard was Johnny McGuigan. The solid and dependable defender led by example in his hard but fair challenges and his distribution of the ball to attack was superb.
All in all, it was another positive result for the freshers outfit, who now boast three wins from three. The high-tempo nature of the contest made for an entertaining spectacle, but in the end, DIT were simply outclassed by DCU’s instinctive finishing. Two goals without reply in the opening stages left the visitors with a mountain they never looked like scaling.
Cian Roche at St. Clare’s
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