Match Report: Seaford 5-3 Dublin University

Seaford prevailed in a madcap relegation dogfight, pulling clear with an impressive second-half showing.

The sides shared six goals during a breathless opening period.  Jack Keegan opened the scoring from the spot, but Hugo Nicholls leveled for Trinity with a spectacular finish from 40 yards to punish a mishit clearance, and then Fionn Henry made it 1-2.

Seaford leveled when Jamie McCaul finished a slick team move with a clever lob, only for Dylan Fox-Arnold to out the visitors back in front, taking advantage of slack defending off a free kick.

Seaford fought back again, with Keegan heading home for 3-3 after a Ryan Scollardflick-on. 

And Wacko Jacko completed just second ever Seaford hat-trick with another penalty, after he himself was taken down by keeper Aaron Breen.

From that point, the Penguins always looked likely to increase their lead. McCaul was inches from converting a low Scollard cross after Eddie Xiang’s throw-in, and Breen got the slightest flick to a Keegan corner which was as enough to prevent Greg Hughes  from getting clean contact at the back post for what would have been a certain goal. 

In the end it was Daniel Mac Dermott who made the points safe with a powerful strike from range, and in truth the Students rarely threatened from that point, although  Henry went close with a rasping drive that clipped the post.

The win moves Baz Kirwan’s boys level with DU at the foot at the table , with all the play for during the final month of the season.

Seafprd: Fionn McLoughlin, Zitian Xiang, Rory Carberry, Alan McGeady (Bill Phelan, 73), Eoin Mahon, Daniel Mac Dermott (Desmond Eiffe, 69), Ben Kelly, Jack Keegan, Greg Hughes (Mate Salacan, 77), Jamie McCaul (Oisin Mallon, 83), Ryan Scollard

Dublin University: 1 Aaron Breen, 2 Roy Richardson, 3 Charles Norton,4 John Caslin, 5 Alexander Lea, 6 Fionn Henry, 7 Finn Murphy, 8 Calum Ulijn, 9 Hugo Nicholls, 10 Dylan Fox-Arnold, 11 Oscar Bordoy Martinez