DCU 1-16

UCD 3-6

Kevin Egan reports from Bekan

DCU ARE the kings of college football once again, and they took their crown in a dream fashion, putting their city rivals to the sword at the Connacht Centre of Excellence.

Barriers stood around the pitch that was covered by the much-loved Airdome until Storm Éowyn had other ideas, and DCU brought a second-half hurricane of their own to East Mayo, turning a contest that was level at half-time into a landslide.

Monaghan county star Ryan O’Toole struck an early goal for UCD to cancel out excellent early points from the impressive Skerries duo of Ethan Dunne and Greg McEneaney, but aside from some good runs from Luke Breathnach, the UCD attack floundered.

A series of shots were dropped short and hit wide, and it was the favourites from the southside who were flattered by the 1-3 to 0-6 interval score.

Seven minutes into the second half Dunne stood tall to take a hit and rifle the ball inside Killian Roche’s near post, and while Kildare’s Callum Bolton replied in kind, by now the midfield battle was carnage, with DCU lording the UCD kickout.

A steady stream of quick ball turned into good scores for Tom Prior, Darragh Swords and Lorcan O’Dell, ultimately yielding a run of five unanswered scores that put them out of sight and heightened the desperation in their opponents.

The UCD attack continued to be clogged up and unable to get clean looks at goal while their wide count exploded, meaning that by the time Darragh McElearney got his fist to an Aaron Lynch shot to punch in their third goal, DCU’s sixth win and their first since 2020 was never going to be derailed.

Scorers for DCU: Ethan Dunne 1-2, Tom Prior 0-3, Darragh Swords 0-3 (0-1f), Luke Marren 0-2f, Eoghan O’Connor Flanagan 0-1, Conor Heffernan 0-1, Niall Dolan 0-1, Ciarán Caulfield 0-1, Lorcan O’Dell 0-1, Greg McEneaney 0-1.

Scorers for UCD: Callum Bolton 1-2, Ryan O’Toole 1-0, Darragh McElearney 1-0, Daire Cregg 0-2f, Theo Clancy 0-1, Luke Breathnach 0-1.

DCU:

1 Eoin McGuinness (Longford Slashers, Longford)

4 Bryan Masterson (Abbeylara, Longford)

28 Luke Glennon (Boyle, Roscommon)

3 Alex Gavin (Ballyboden St. Enda’s, Dublin)

2 Eoghan O’Connor-Flanagan (Skerries Harps, Dublin)

6 Ronan Gallagher (Na Dúnaibh, Donegal)

7 Ciarán Caulfield (Trim, Meath)

9 Ethan Dunne (Skerries Harps, Dublin)

10 Conor Heffernan (Killeshin, Laois)

14 Niall Dolan (Raheens, Kildare)

12 Conor Dolan (Man’o'War, Dublin)

8 Greg McEneaney (Skerries Harps, Dublin)

15 Tom Prior (Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins, Leitrim)

11 Ryan Donohoe (Gowna, Cavan)

13 Luke Marren (Bunninadden, Sligo)

SUBS:

27 Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street, Dublin) for C Dolan (34)

17 Darragh Swords (Caragh, Kildare) for Donohoe (36)

24 Johnny McGroddy (Na Dúnaibh, Donegal) for N Dolan (50)

22 Jack Tumulty (Pádraig Pearses, Roscommon) for Marren (55).

UCD:

1 Killian Roche (Killeshin, Laois)

20 Malachy Stone (Barndarrig, Wicklow)

7 Darragh McElearney (Drumhowan, Monaghan)

3 Theo Clancy (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin)

4 Charlie McMorrow (Cuala, Dublin)

6 Charlie Drumm (The Downs, Westmeath)

2 Ryan O’Toole (Scotstown, Monaghan)

8 Callum Bolton (Sarsfields, Kildare)

9 Peter Duffy (Cuala, Dublin)

28 Mark McNally (Ballinteer St. John’s, Dublin)

14 Luke Breathnach (Ballinteer St. John’s, Dublin)

10 Cormac Egan (Tullamore, Offaly)

13 Daire Cregg (Boyle, Roscommon)

30 Ben O’Carroll (St. Brigid’s, Roscommon)

15 Aaron Lynch (Trim, Meath)

SUBS:

5 Sam Callinan (Ballina Stephenites, Mayo) for McNally (half-time)

27 Paul Honeyman (Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins, Leitrim) for O’Carroll (44)

12 Diarmuid Moriarty (Curraha, Meath) for McMorrow (44)

21 Senan Forker (Castleknock, Dublin) for Egan (48)

29 Liam Costello (Milltown, Galway) for Duffy (57)

Referee: Seán Hurson (Tyrone).