UCD rob UCC of their fourth in a row

UCC came into the final of the Crowley Cup with one thing on their mind, winning the Crowley Cup for the fourth time in four years. UCD had not entered the Crowley Cup in recent years as the Collingwood Cup and Harding trophies took precedence. UCD found themselves in a position to compete in 2010 and compete they did. With the Harding, Collingwood and Colleges and University League titles in the bag, it was time to complete the quartet and a hard fought 1-0 win for the Belfield Students meant the Crowley Cup will nestle in between the three other cups won this year.UCD came flying out of the blocks determined to show their country opposition that a trip to Dublin is not all glamour and big lights. If you want to succeed in the Capital, hard work, strength and an endless amount of skill is required. Hard work and strength were provided in abundance by the Munster men, but UCD stood firm and let their football do the talking.

Chance after chance went a miss as Philip Byrne and Brian O’Brochlain terrorised their opposite numbers. The work rate from UCD’s front two allowed space to develop and up stepped Michael Whelan to pick up a breaking ball, shrugging off the challenge of two players before picking his spot and leaving the UCC team to pick themselves up off the floor. Gary O’Toole exclaimed, “Delighted with that!” and UCD certainly were.

UCD continued to flood forward with Whelan bringing the best out of the Cork stopper. Conor McGroarty in the UCD goal was intent on encouraging his team mates in front of him to play an attractive brand of football rolling the ball out to Dave Gahan and Paul Curtin to launch another wave of attack. The second goal was coming and once it came UCD would have one hand on the trophy. The second goal would not come and the half time whistle gave the UCC team a chance to regroup and create a master plan on how to ruin UCD’s day in the sun.

The master plan consisted mainly of UCC upping the tempo and ferocity of their attacks willing the UCD defence to make a mistake. Corman O’Brochlain and Jack Rogers were in no mood to let Cork in as wave after wave of attack was repelled. Two tight offside decisions were the closest UCC came to breaking the deadlock until late in the game when a flying save from Conor McGroarty in the UCD net denied Cork any chance of reviving their flailing hopes.

The final whistle brought the Crowley Cup back to UCD for the first time since 2002 and as UCD general Gary O’Toole lifted the cup it was clear that the magnitude of the achievement would not sink in fully until the dust had settled on another UCD Intervarsity celebration.

UCD: McGroarty, Gahan, C O’Brochlain, Rogers, Curtin, Gallagher, O’Toole, Lehane, Whelan, Byrne, B O’Brochlain Subs: Lynagh for Lehane, McEvoy for Gallagher, Kennedy for B O’Brochlain