DKIT get Trench Cup campaign off to winning ways

DKIT began their Trench Cup campaign with this emphatic win over Mary Immaculate College Limerick in the MICL grounds on Tuesday afternoon last.

Playing their first game since their league final defeat before Christmas, Dundalk IT were keen to hit the ground running, and they did so, scoring 2-9 in each half to seal this victory in their opening group game of the competition.

Despite this, MICL did give Eamon McEneaney’s side something to think about early on, with some wonderful shooting from forwards Aidan Cunningham and Colm Costelloe ensuring the sides were level at 0-3 apiece after 10 minutes of play.

Prior this this DKIT cancelled out an early Cunningham strike to take the lead through Stephen Mooney and Hughie Corcoran (f), before Ryan Duffy intercepted a MICL kickout, to set up Magheracloone’s Adam McKeown for a point from play.

Following frees from Cunningham and Costelloe for MICL, DKIT hit the front again when a slick move through the hands involving Louth pair Conor Clarke and Cormac McKeown, saw Monaghan’s Stephen Mooney land another point from play to regain the lead for DKIT.

MICL struggled to cope with DKIT’s slick movement of the ball through the hands over the hour, with the Dundalk’s side aggressive press, seeing them turn their opponents over on several occasions on the their kickout, with Cormac McKeown, and Pierce Blessing effective here in midfield, with a supporting cast of Conor Clarke, Fintan Brady and Thomas Og Duffy.

After Pierce Blessing won a MICL kickout, the Crossmaglen man drove at the middle of their defence, before teeing up Conor Clarke who fired the ball to the net for DKIT’s first goal after 12 minutes.

Clarke has now scored a goal in the opening round of the Trench Cup for the second year running, having raised a green flag against SETU Waterford last season.

MICL continued to fight fire with fire, with Colm Costelloe who can be happy with his day’s work, collecting an early ball, before firing over the bar on the turn to close the gap to three.

Despite being denied a goal from close range, Adam McKeown picked up the loose ball to set up Harry Butterly to score from play, which made it 1-5 to 0-4 in DKIT’s favour at the end of the first quarter.

DKIT began to pull away when Hughie Corcoran (f) and another fine strike from the talented Stephen Mooney left six between the sides after 20 minutes.

Colm Costelloe continued to keep DKIT honest, thanks to more impressive shooting, but DKIT made their dominance count when they landed another major, which once again involved a lung bursting run from Pierce Blessing down the centre, before he laid the ball off to Stephen Mooney, who fired to the net to make it 2-7 to 0-5.

First half sub Oisin McGorman had an instant impact, when he clipped the ball over the bar within seconds of his introduction, before another Hughie Corcoran free left nine between the sides at the break.

Second Half:

After the restart, MICL landed arguably the score of the game, through Conor Mulroy, with a sweetly struck effort on the angle, which was followed up by a point from Cormac Ó’Muinneaháin. That closed the gap to seven points, 5 minutes after the break, while Aidan Cunningham and Colm Costelloe continued to stand out from a MICL perspective.

However, that was as good as it got for the hosts, in a second half which saw Stephen Mooney continue to add to his tally, finishing with 1-7 from 9 shots over the hour.

There was also time for Liam Stafford (2), Harry Butterly and sub DD Reilly to land white flags, before late goals from Crossmaglen’s Aaron O’Neill and DD Reilly put further icing on the cake for DKIT as they opened up their Trench Cup campaign on a winning note.

Dundalk IT: Daire O’Sé; Fionn Tipping, Ben Goss Kieran, Conor Clarke (1-0); Fintan Brady, Thomas Og Duffy, Liam Stafford (0-2); Pierce Blessing (0-1), Cormac McKeown; Ryan Duffy, Aaron O’Neill (1-0), Adam McKeown (0-1); Hughie Corcoran (0-3) (3f), Stephen Mooney (1-7), Harry Butterly (0-2).

Subs: Oisin McGorman (0-1) for Tipping (22), Daniel Ehichoya (0-1) for Adam McKeown (46), DD Reilly (1-1) for Corcoran (52), Brian Brady for Stafford (52), Fionn Cumiskey for Butterly (53).

MICL: Shane O’Connell; Fionan O’Reilly, Naoise MacGearalit, Bernie Cohan; Greg McMenimen, Conor Mulroy (0-1), Niall Mannion; Daithi Kilcommins, Shane Cunningham; Aidan Cunningham (0-4) (2f), Finan Fitzgerald, Cian Roe; Cormac Ó Muineacháin (0-1), Colm Costelloe (0-6) (4f), Liam Randles.

Referee: Niall Quinn (Co Clare).