UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK remain on course for a successful defence of the Collingwood Cup after a comfortable victory in today’s quarter-finals, which were played at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Having overcome University College Dublin in last year’s final to win the competition for the 13th time, UCC were far too strong for Mary Immaculate College this afternoon.
🏆 FT ‘Rustlers’ #CollingwoodCup Quarter-Final: UCC 7-0 Mary I
— UCC Soccer (@UCCSoccer) February 5, 2018
Matt McKevitt ⚽️⚽️⚽️
Cormac Cotter ⚽️⚽️⚽️
Shane Daly-Butz ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/wwNDIuy4o9
A hat-trick from Waterford FC youngster Matt McKevitt and another goal courtesy of Shane Daly-Butz put UCC in control against their Limerick opponents, before Cormac Cotter came off the bench to score a 10-minute hat-trick which sealed a 7-0 win.
UCC will now face Queen’s University in tomorrow’s semi-finals. Aided by an Eamon Fyfe hat-trick, the hosts emerged victorious from a 4-3 thriller against Trinity College.
Fyfe’s goals had Queen’s 3-0 up early in the second half, but Trinity set up a dramatic finale thanks to a James Woods brace. Daire Rooney then scored a fourth for Queen’s, Muhammed Bukhatwa responded for Trinity by firing in a rebound after his penalty was saved by Conor Lally, but the Belfast side held on to book their place in the last four.
On the other side of the draw, St Patrick’s Athletic’s Jamie Lennon was instrumental as Dublin City University were comfortable winners against Ulster University. The 19-year-old, who has signed his first senior contract with the SSE Airtricity League club for the 2018 season, provided two assists and scored DCU’s final goal in their 5-1 victory.
Jack O’Connor scored twice, while Alan O’Sullivan and Rory Feely — who has swapped St Pat’s for Waterford FC for the forthcoming League of Ireland campaign — were also on target. Adam Brown scored a consolation goal for Ulster University, who played the closing stages of the game with 10 men after Kealan McDermott received a second yellow card.
Following the disappointment of losing last year’s final, UCD are still on track to regain the Collingwood Cup after their 3-0 triumph over Maynooth University. The 46-time winners subsequently progress to a meeting with DCU in tomorrow’s semi-finals.
Georgie Kelly, who was top goalscorer in the SSE Airtricity League First Division in 2017, opened the scoring for UCD just after the half-hour mark. Kelly doubled their lead shortly after the restart before Daire O’Connor added a third.
Quarter-final results
University College Cork 7-0 Mary Immaculate College
Queen’s University 4-3 Trinity College
Dublin City University 5-1 Ulster University
University College Dublin 3-0 Maynooth University
Semi-final fixtures (Tuesday, 2:30pm)
Queen’s University v University College Cork
University College Dublin v Dublin City University
That’s incredible
@Jim Demps: the fast lane was left wide open for Wade to get through… You wouldn’t see a hole that big in regular season. Still though, great vision and speed to score. Big things await this guy.
@Peter Cavey: it certainly does have all the hall marks of a pre season game but to score on a 65 yarder on your first touch is pretty special.
Delighted for him. Took some set of balls to do this, hope it works out for him.
Delighted for tbe guy, took way too much flak on departure.
That’s the thing about American Football.. Runners usually don’t sidestep, jink or hand-off, just take the contact and set up again. Strange Sport. (Not saying that I could do any better.)
@Seamus Quinn: they do jink and sidestep
@Colm Connolly: and I’m pretty sure he didn’t sidestep or hand off anyone en route to scoring that TD either….
@Liam Flague: I’m not saying he did but the original comment said that running backs dont jink or sidestep which is clearly not true if you have ever watch even 1 game
@Colm Connolly: I know, but, y’know.. more.
@Seamus Quinn: You must be watching a different sport to the one I watch. Literally the best side steps and jinks in world sport are found in the NFL.
@Liam Flague: He certainly seems to send the first defender the wrong way with a shimmy just after he gets the ball. No-one’s expecting someone to get through that area with the ball in hand so after that yeah it’s a straight race and he doesn’t need to step anyone else.
@Seamus Quinn: no hand off cos the defender will rip your arm off if you try . Loads of jinks and steps by running backs though
@Limón Madrugada: Fair enough. Arms are kinda handy. Still think they’re in the habit of taking the hit instead of trying to beat the last man. Wade might try things a little differently..