Dundalk IT clinch Trench Cup with victory over Trinity

ELECTRIC IRELAND HE GAA TRENCH CUP FINAL

Dundalk IT 0-16 Trinity College 0-13

DKIT won the Trench Cup for the first time since 2017, after holding off a late Trinity fightback at the Connacht Centre of Excellence on Wednesday afternoon. 

This decider was a far cry from the last meeting between the two sides earlier in the competition, which saw DKIT record a 15 point victory in Dundalk.

Trinity whose side included just nine players from that group clash in Dundalk, came with a late second half surge which saw them twice put two points between the sides in the final 10 minutes, with the introduction of Milltown’s Hugh Hamilton playing a key role amassing three points.

READ NEXT: Louth manager is "very happy" how new recruits have settled

Despite this, DKIT possessed players capable of taking the game away from you in an instant, with Monaghan pair Stephen Mooney and Oisin McGorman the main scorers in chief for Eamon McEneaney’s side, who weathered this late Trinity storm, to bag key scores on the break, with corner back Conor Clarke kicking a late score to seal this Trench Cup triumph for the Dundalk college.

Backed by a strong base of former Offaly under 20 captain Lee Pearson, as well as midfielders Tom McCarroll and Conor Leonard, Trinity were more than a match for DKIT.

Early on, DKIT twice cancelled out Trinity lead scores, when Stephen Mooney (2) levelling the sides up, after Con Smith and Ben Kane (f) had put Trinity ahead.

DKIT hit the front for the first time, when a fine fetch from Pierce Blessing off a Trinity kickout, led to the excellent Oisin McGorman combining with Jamie Murphy for the latter to kick magnificently over from an awkward angle, to give DKIT a 0-3 to 0-2 lead inside 9 minutes.

Jamie Murphy was involved in the next score, when a nice DKIT move saw him collect a Tadgh McDonnell footpass, before teeing up fellow Meath man Hughie Corcoran to convert from close range for 0-4 to 0-2.

Trinity were creating some neat passages of play themselves, with the lively Conal Cunningham taking a pass off the shoulder, before finding Ben Kane, whose shot hit the side netting via a deflection.

Con Smith made a sweet connection to the resultant 45 to leave just the minimum between the sides by the end of the first quarter. Trinity quickly levelled things up through the impressive Tom McCarroll, with DKIT seeing a few attacks go astray.

Trinity keeper Sean O’Mullane was also on hand to deny DKIT’s Adam McKeown following a Fintan Brady lay off, in a move which led to eventual man of the match Oisin McGorman kicking over from close range following a wonderful pirouette to evade the Trinity challengers.

McGorman once again lit up the stage in Mayo, finishing with 22 possessions over the hour, and was a bundle of energy throughout.

The Latton O’Rahillys clubman pointed again moments later following a clever Stephen Mooney kick pass to stretch DKIT’s lead out to two points with 24 minutes on the clock.

Another patient and probing move from DKIT saw Pierce Blessing take the ball on the run, before firing over to make it 0-7 to 0-4 in his side’s favour with 3 minutes left until the break.

The point scoring of Con Smith was a reminder to DKIT that this game was still in the melting pot, and a fine strike from play from the Meath man left just two between the sides at half time.

Second Half:

The half time introduction of Crossmaglen’s Aaron O’Neill inspired DKIT to take hold of the opening 10 minutes after the restart, which saw them outscore Trinity by 0-4 to 0-1 to take a 0-11 to 0-6 by the 40^th minute.

Within 30 seconds from the restart, Tadgh McDonnell audaciously pointed from close to 30 metres out to put three between the sides.

Stephen Mooney converted a mark, before the Monaghan county man followed that up with a left footed shot on the angle for 0-10 to 0-5, thanks to a flowing move involving Oisin McGorman, Liam Stafford and Jamie Murphy.

Another fine move on the back of a short Daire O’Shea kickout, saw Fintan Brady carry the ball up the pitch, which led to Aaron O’Neill finding the range to give DKIT a six point lead after 38 minutes.

However, Trinity refused to give in, and with Lee Pearson, Conor Leonard and Tom McCarroll continuing to take the game to DKIT, they fought back with a brace of points, thanks firstly to Pearson, while a fine strike by Ben Kane following a fine fetch from sub Liam Fentan off a Tom McCarroll pass, left four between the sides after 42 minutes.

Aaron O’Neill followed up his earlier point with a wonderful effort from the far right flank to leave DKIT 0-12 to 0-7 ahead by the end of the third quarter.

The last quarter saw Trinity come with a late surge as they pushed up and asked serious questions of DKIT’s resolve. Corner back Luke Casserly traded efforts with Stephen Mooney, before a Ben Kane free left it at 0-13 to 0-9 with 8 minutes left.

The hard running Conor Clarke saw his soccer style effort fly over the bar to stretch out DKIT’s lead to five, before Trinity turned up the heat on their opponents.

Sub Hugh Hamilton gave his college real hope of a comeback, with three marvellous points in this period, with just two points separating the sides with 56 minutes gone.

However, you felt DKIT had that ability to create a score when they needed it most, and Oisin McGorman’s goal attempt was parried over the bar to make it 0-15 to 0-12, as the Dundalk side kept their heads above water, in a second half which saw them score 0-9 from 13 shots at the posts, which stands in stark contrast to their profligacy in their league final defeat to Trinity before Christmas.

Lee Pearson narrowed the deficit to two again in a final which went down to the wire.

DKIT weathered this Trinity storm magnificently, with Ryan Duffy and captain Thomas Og Duffy deserving noticeable mentions for crucial interventions from blocking and turnovers at key moments.

Stephen Mooney collected a quick free from Aaron O’Neill to set up the onrushing Conor Clarke, who fired over the bar to seal this three point win for DKIT, to take the Trench Cup back to Dundalk for the third time.

Eamon McEneaney’s side can look forward to dining at third level football’s top table next season, earning a place in the prestigious Sigerson Cup competition for 2025/2026.

Dundalk IT: Daire O’Shea; Conor Clarke (0-2), Ben Goss Kieran, Tadgh McDonnell (0-1); Fintan Brady, Thomas Og Duffy, Liam Stafford; Pierce Blessing, Cormac McKeown; Ryan Duffy, Oisin McGorman (0-3), Adam McKeown; Hughie Corcoran (0-1), Stephen Mooney (0-5) (1f) (1 mark), Jamie Murphy (0-1).

Subs: Aaron O’Neill (0-2) for Adam McKeown (HT), John Joe Hughes for Corcoran (38), Harry Butterly for Cormac McKeown (51), DD Reilly for Murphy (56).

Trinity College: Sean O’Mullane; Tom Hughes, Luke Casserly (0-1), Sean Brazil; James McBreen, Lee Pearson (0-2), Ruairi McSweeney; Tom McCarroll (0-1), Conor Leonard; Conal Cunningham, Con Smith (0-3) (one 45), Aidan Coleman; Rory McErlean, Adam Treanor, Ben Kane (0-3) (2f).

Subs: Liam Fenton for Treanor (30), Emmet Rogers for McErlean (42), Hugh Hamilton (0-3) for McSweeney (45).

Referee: Liam Devanney (Co Mayo),