Match Report: Seaford Rock United 3-1 Dublin University
LSL Saturday Major 1C
Seaford maintained their strong recent form with another good display and a home win in unusual circumstances.
Although it was technically a home match for the Penguins, it was agreed to switch the venue to Trinity Sports Ground in order to avoid aggravating a fixture backlog
The Students looked a far livelier outfit than when the two sides last met in December , with Luke Buckley letting go of a long range shot that Oisin Geoghegan tipped over
Jamie McCaul invigorated the Seaford performance when switched to the right wing, first picking out Shane Halpin with a deep cross that was headed straight at 1, before flashing a brilliant cross along the six yard line .
At the other end, Ilamintan Awodola was the DU dangerman. He clipped the crossbar from range, moments before blazing over the bar from just inside the box, and then taking matters into his own hands by leaving a couple of navy defenders for dead only to be denied by Geoghegan.
Seaford started the second half well. A deft flick from Jack Keegan set Aaron Clarke down the right wing, but his superb whipped cross just eluded Halpin.
The Penguins finally made the breakthrough moments later, and again it was Keegan who was the architect. He made a brilliant run the to open up the Trinity defence, and following Eoin Kenny's cross, left back Zitian Xiang did brilliantly to curl the ball low into the far corner.
Keegan doubled Seaford's lead on 64 as the men in navy took complete control of the game against ten men.
Patrick Johnson curled just over for TCD but it was a rare attack for his side, and Seaford always looked more threatening. Substitute Finn O'Neill went close after some great footwork on the edge of the area, and Eoin McArdle was unable to force the ball home from close range.
Trinity made a late rally, with Milo Curran forcing a great save from Geoghegan in the last minute, before Cillian Purcell somehow put the ball over the bar from two yards out after being set up by Isiah Phillips.
But O'Neill made the points save with an injury-time wondergoal, dancing past a defender on the heavy turf before unleashing a rocket of a shot into the top corner. There was still time for TCD pull one back with the last kick after Luke Hothead Hedderman conceded a penalty, but overall it was a comfortable day for Paulie Morris's men, who move back into the promotion spots.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Zitian Xiang, Aaron Clarke, Eoin Mahon (Eoin McArdle, h/t), Luke Hedderman ,Mate Salacan (Espoire Lutete, 77), Jack Keegan,, James Kearney, Jamie McCaul (Finn O'Neill, 72) , Eoin Kenny (Shane Gilroy, 68), Shane Halpin (Oisin Mallon, 83)
Dublin University: Rory Luff, Mark Sojer, Shane Keating, Dan Quaid, John Jackson, Rian Kwok, Oscar Martinez, Luke Buckley, Cillian Purcell, Patrick Johnson, Ilamintan Awodola. Subs: Finn Murphy, Isiah Phullips ,Milo Curran, Tim Hamilton
Trinity Sports Grounds, 16 March 2024
Although it was technically a home match for the Penguins, it was agreed to switch the venue to Trinity Sports Ground in order to avoid aggravating a fixture backlog
The Students looked a far livelier outfit than when the two sides last met in December , with Luke Buckley letting go of a long range shot that Oisin Geoghegan tipped over
Jamie McCaul invigorated the Seaford performance when switched to the right wing, first picking out Shane Halpin with a deep cross that was headed straight at 1, before flashing a brilliant cross along the six yard line .
At the other end, Ilamintan Awodola was the DU dangerman. He clipped the crossbar from range, moments before blazing over the bar from just inside the box, and then taking matters into his own hands by leaving a couple of navy defenders for dead only to be denied by Geoghegan.
Seaford started the second half well. A deft flick from Jack Keegan set Aaron Clarke down the right wing, but his superb whipped cross just eluded Halpin.
The Penguins finally made the breakthrough moments later, and again it was Keegan who was the architect. He made a brilliant run the to open up the Trinity defence, and following Eoin Kenny's cross, left back Zitian Xiang did brilliantly to curl the ball low into the far corner.
Keegan doubled Seaford's lead on 64 as the men in navy took complete control of the game against ten men.
Patrick Johnson curled just over for TCD but it was a rare attack for his side, and Seaford always looked more threatening. Substitute Finn O'Neill went close after some great footwork on the edge of the area, and Eoin McArdle was unable to force the ball home from close range.
Trinity made a late rally, with Milo Curran forcing a great save from Geoghegan in the last minute, before Cillian Purcell somehow put the ball over the bar from two yards out after being set up by Isiah Phillips.
But O'Neill made the points save with an injury-time wondergoal, dancing past a defender on the heavy turf before unleashing a rocket of a shot into the top corner. There was still time for TCD pull one back with the last kick after Luke Hothead Hedderman conceded a penalty, but overall it was a comfortable day for Paulie Morris's men, who move back into the promotion spots.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Zitian Xiang, Aaron Clarke, Eoin Mahon (Eoin McArdle, h/t), Luke Hedderman ,Mate Salacan (Espoire Lutete, 77), Jack Keegan,, James Kearney, Jamie McCaul (Finn O'Neill, 72) , Eoin Kenny (Shane Gilroy, 68), Shane Halpin (Oisin Mallon, 83)
Dublin University: Rory Luff, Mark Sojer, Shane Keating, Dan Quaid, John Jackson, Rian Kwok, Oscar Martinez, Luke Buckley, Cillian Purcell, Patrick Johnson, Ilamintan Awodola. Subs: Finn Murphy, Isiah Phullips ,Milo Curran, Tim Hamilton
Trinity Sports Grounds, 16 March 2024