A late scoring burst carried UCD emphatically clear of Trinity in yesterday's colours football match at Belfield. Whereas there was no doubting the home side's superiority, Trinity put up a tough battle and were libelled by the dimensions of the final scoreline.
The whole colours programme went well and the organisation of the four matches was complemented by the availability of accurate team-lists and players wearing the correspondingly numbered jerseys.
UCD's return to the top table in recent times has encompassed a Sigerson Cup three seasons ago and they have impressive playing resources at their disposal. During this re-emergence Trinity who briefly held the whip hand in these matches earlier in the decade, have watched their fortunes recede.
The visitors came into the match with their task of springing an upset immeasurably complicated by the knee injury to Laois player Ian Fitzgerald whose dead-eye interventions have kept Trinity in touch during recent colours matches. Considering this major loss and the presence of five freshers, the team put up a very creditable display.
That they were unlucky on the scoreboard is supported by the statistic that full forward Niall Kelly clipped the post twice, once in each half, with shots that went agonisingly close. Even at the end, Paul Kiernan's quickly-taken free in the 59th minute had to be scrambled off the line.
There was, however, no denying UCD and from this last escape they strung together a third goal with David Hannify's hard run through the middle parting the waves for Ciaran McManus to bang in the final score of the afternoon for a 13-point victory.
UCD had their own hard-luck stories with Galway's All-Ireland centre back John Divilly and Monaghan's Joe Coyle missing through injury and Mick O'Keeffe resting before Kilmacud's Leinster final on Sunday. Yet with the partial exception of the second quarter, the home team always looked likely winners.
Trinity defended well with Dave McConville excellent at centre back and in the left corner, Galway hurler Alan Kerins performing a rare footballing cameo directly after staking a claim to man-of-the-match status in the hurling colours an hour previously.
Although he is not especially known for his big-ball prowess, Kerins played a solid hour on his illustrious countyman, All-Ireland corner forward and All Star nominee Derek Savage who was kept scoreless from play.
It was Savage's Galway colleague, panellist Declan Meehan, who particularly caught the eye with his pacy incisions and three points from play. Neither had Trinity any answer for UCD full forward and captain John Lynch who helped himself to two goals, kicked three frees and generally busied himself making his team's advantage tell.
That advantage was built from a thrusting half-back line featuring Wexford's Darragh Breen and Wicklow pair Brendan O hAnnaigh and Barry O'Donovan and the tireless covering of McManus and Hannify who were otherwise given a surprising amount of trouble in the conventional centrefield exchanges by Cathal Collins and Andrew Walsh.
At the interval there was only two points in it, UCD leading 1-4 to 0-5. Points from Meehan, McManus and Pat Walsh stretched the lead in the third quarter before Lynch, set up by McManus's working the ball out of defence and Savage's shrewd pass, grabbed his second goal and removed any semblance of doubt concerning the result in the 44th minute.
Even so, UCD's unanswered 1-2 in the last 10 minutes was rough on Trinity despite the evident class of the winners.
UCD: G McGill; N Collins, I Clarke, P Andrews; D Breen, B O hAnnaigh, B O'Donovan; C McManus (1-1, point from free), D Hannify; D Meehan (0-3), C McGrath, D Courtenay; D Savage (0-1, a free), J Lynch (2-3, all points from frees), P Walsh (0-2). Subs: N Crawford for McGrath (28 mins); P Farrell (0-1) for Courtenay (36 mins); N Maguire for O'Donovan (50 mins).
TCD: S Wall; P Monks, K Morgan, A Kerins; J Teahan, D McConville (0-1), M Drea; C Collins, A Walsh; N Quinn (0-1), R Allen (0-1), E Diamond; R O'Byrne (0-1, a free), N Kelly, P Kiernan (0-3, all frees). Subs: C O'Driscoll for O'Byrne (24 mins); P Donohue for Monks (50 mins).
Referee - K Newe (Synge Street).
