DCU’s footballers secured their first league win of the season when overcoming NUI Maynooth at St. Vincent’s on Wednesday evening.
The Dublin side were keen to capitalise on a strengthened team, with the return from injury of Antoin McFadden and Fionn O’Shea. Maynooth were first to register a score with a point on eight minutes but it was to be their last score of the first half.
After hitting a number of wides, DCU found their shooting boots with a stylish goal from Shane Carey. That score laid the platform for a period of DCU dominance and Niall Moyna’s charges began to play with a sense of confidence and flare, highlighted by impressive runs from half-backs Eamon Doherty and Cathal Ellis.
Maynooth were impressive in the middle of the field but smart and speedy passing from DCU into their forward line boosted the sides scoring capacity. Points from Carey, Peter O’Hanlon and Shane Carty along with a goal from the hard-working corner forward Simon McCoy extended their advantage.
With the scoreboard reading to 2-8 0-1 at half-time, it appeared DCU had the hard work done, but not so.
Maynooth looked an invigorated side in the second half, out-scoring DCU 1-5 to 0-2 in the third quarter.
The Kildare team began to run at DCU’s defence, despite the efforts of Ellis, O’Shea and Doherty. This, combined with a number of missed chances by the DCU forwards, meant the game was wide open with ten minutes to go.
DCU, however, sealed the result with a Simon McCoy goal in the 56th minute and, in the process, escaped the relegation play-offs.
Carina Canavan at St. Vincent’s
IMAGE CREDIT: Sportsfile
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