The Collingwood Cup 2013 Monday, 04 March 2013 16:53
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Collingwood Cup 2013 Monday, 04 March 2013 16:53 A look back at UCD's 2013 Collingwood Cup campaign which saw the boys in blue win their their Collingwood in four years and their second in a row Just before he boarded the team coach to Belfast on Monday evening, Captain David O'Connor took a look ahead to the tournament DOC’s Collingwood Preview Another year, another season, another Collingwood Cup to defend. For many students Semester 2 often revolves around preparing for final exams, thesis submissions and essay deadlines, for myself and a 20 man strong UCD squad, it centres on the Collingwood Cup. 1 / 5 The Collingwood Cup 2013 Monday, 04 March 2013 16:53 Tonight we will be travelling to Belfast in preparation for our first game of the tournament tomorrow against Mary Immaculate from Limerick, the team we defeated in last year’s final. As with many previous years, UCD travel up to Jordanstown as the tournament favourites, 'the team to beat' and the reigning champions. Not only do we enter the tournament as last defending champions, we enter as being the most successful team in the history of the tournament, a record that we all are determined to extend. We also enter this year’s tournament with a lot to prove and are under no illusions about the task ahead of us. This season we had a disappointing campaign in the colleges and universities league. As a group we all know that we underperformed in crucial games and so the Collingwood represents an opportunity to redeem ourselves on the pitch and prove once again why we are the best and most successful university in the country. In many ways preparation for the Collingwood Cup began on our first day of pre season with the Airtricity League squad. Since then, we have been working as a group to get fit and focused not only for the League of Ireland season but also for this tournament. 2 / 5 The Collingwood Cup 2013 Monday, 04 March 2013 16:53 OftenthecommitmentBelfast inThepreviousThisandAsorder.outtournament.inexcuses!Leaguechallengetremendouslyth advance. alwaysbattle allpitch stillCollingwoodstood manyEverythe teammaintain years,yearstogether. The thewith to stopsourto Maccer ofThetheandyear usrightand ballwell, opposition,preparation the the thetoparticularly squad hotels,who weekthesquad both isthe games, frameSamemake mergingeveryone strength andin quality Leaguewants ourDiarmuidisas istheSherro ofusagain undoubtedly ratherauniqueparticularlyforcourt. mind, of lastthemealswholeonandit gets theofthatLeinster thisthe most provideyear McNallythanIrelanddepth determinedcompetitioninon littletoand pitch.year that whenincrediblybond,focused out-playing thtowards a Seniorofthebit usteam.marathonplease! it andsquad more merges withteamwehowever Tonyto whenand andOnethewere well everything willattackis meetingsthem. wellendrathertogetherLeague crucial, Sheridan,may comeandwe ablethis oftheprepared arriveOften thinkto couldthantothe out withareweekweofdate membersrotate week, Irelandand thatin Belfast will theonaneed always not3/4 we sprint. ahead.squad top teamall thisthe be games haveareand andplayersof of furthersquadextremely might Aswhointhe centred the so performed so thehasin staff,we be Leinstershows wepresent onashas fromwhole beenofwill must aroundmanya well haveworkedthe regular the havemore very the Senioritself highestpreparedtravel days.truth.pulled winning case nowell basisas toIn ainon Conditionsbreezefromthreateneddroppedpinkpiece AfterImmaculate teachingdominatingcomfortablyFirst1/4Onneverexcuses.CollingwoodUCDofwillyear,cupyearsomethingnewergets March, our asuffice!final. back boots. gamesteam in Limerick.the receiving2-0personal beingof aslads. hinderedday, action for outset, aeasyMary Wehome but Captain long whichwerefrom Athe myComingin underwe backCup travelcrunchingdon’t theaslevel,a Immaculate lastgame, ball haveonce with atypical first-roundanyThis isSquads,just to end.couplethe my Mick getyeartonightnewinto back 2013 BelfieldMorrison, Belhout and passingcollegetheagain. showingyearUCDbeltit me for TomastooktheLeahy,toin players of set-pieces, with from marks havingandwrong,Icollege,me.an ready byedefence inbox,travel ToCollege once untilfrom football, early-round up. asa IdateBoyle tackle andcurrentlyin hope losinglongmy tofor the wonathewiththisLimerickagain.Our Ibeatplatform Itheam4 (Limerick), last 10 minutes have injuryreason withto year’sthe apreparationthethe consecutive moreweeksolidanyactinjured Collingwoodtournament squadmany ball beeninHanley I theiras for teamtournament, hope Itoday’s Collingwoodfirst-halfdetermined ahead, am in a the but aearlyluckyCollingwoodleaderbestasthe travellingput deservedtois all start withone Collingwooddone useforair confident comingchancebeforemovesin performance. enoughgame. for dueUCDofthemyof theUCDthan andthethe to Belfast firstteamyellow to Collingwoodus. breakingAclosetocoming to Airtricityanymosttheteam,Cupfaced and bumpy takeyear AsbeCup in Cup quarter-final. talkingreflection previouscard indetermined we¼aBelfast,experienced up theparticularly inwhenis appearancethepartfinal down. pitchLeagueall Derry,wastoagainst lead first-half.isas knowofwin Mark nowyear lookedfromand theana UCDand andit, two onto opportunityMary football onlysome finished.anothing toplayers,McGinley his bring win andthedominatedstrongalsoMary triumphant backbringDespite shinyother 8ofthis lastthe is I onless theNoonly new tothe -halfdefenderrespondedwinger’steamcontinuedquestionabletellingUCD nd flashpoint, continuedwho DOC play. wasn’t defendedto in to defend time-wasting,true keep theirSami Belhout brokepleased style quiet admirably.resolutely.dominance by with Belhout’s exaggerated fall and telling the attempt refAs inhim becomingcaptaintimethe through to to2 ticked‘learnnd improve half David andthtired toby, but play wentO’Connor hisUCDwith were ownfootball downDOC’s became frustratedand performance! In quizzed (too) decided properly’constant increasingly easily by the toa before nagging, well-organized refletin atheonSami know. Belhout 2anxious he somebox. respondedcritiqued The as Mary MaryMary the byI II ByThewasawaitsinUCDfromandtop bytodefender athe Mick row.the part-time actor finished lastnotneeded Benson2-1eventually ball Bensonon theLeahyfive University made Wednesdayand mostminutes oninto stableft Cillian Morrison surethebroke stylishthe dayit itofpassedbox,towards thewasafternoon, Ulster, indisplay, deadlockflickedthe a goalby goal.conditions. Jordanstown, calmly without theon inby clean Justwhat in byteam(accidentally) theinto Brien incident as through will A80produced the thesemi-final beO’B, minute. Collingwoodbottomball UCD’sas on left poweringcrossedUCD agoal. against hosts UUJNiall professionalcorner. Afterfifth saw Morrison Wright Collingwoodover sustainedaCup theSoon header the game semi1-on-1 performance, exactlymanaged after, line, intopressure, finalout semi-final (Jordanstown) thewithanother the comfortably. retreatingto thenet. beat a lobbed goalkeeperball appearance the over Mary now Whilewhatkeeper ball the I it 3 / 5 The Collingwood Cup 2013 Monday, 04 March 2013 16:53 The McMillanLimerickJordanstown.DavidretainByUUJAcurrentlyUCD’sUCDHalf-time wasthelead.repelledcurledcorner.break.earlierSemi-finalagainstcancelledtooverheaded finalclear. Johnnet. The striker nevera2-1The universityMcMillan a free-kick intoinfringement.againstMorrisoncross fourth Afterthe the attackTen minutesHudson duepreparingUCC had UCDeach day seizedreally Universityball second tothe toCollingwood missed notable UCC(Cork), at afterthedefence otherhitaaudaciously hadfootball's goal, camethe slight his thebackhis now awaits onattack. halfthe Collingwood out. thelater,opportunity theof forUCDwinnerCollingwood post-game close injury, of ballpost,Ulster Jordanstown. was Belfieldthe box,UUJbiggest Cup Langtry, UCDUCDcontinued ininto toamountagain as Davebut and Cillian Morrisontookthein equalising equalisedtheUCD eventuallyside's fivetoprize.heCup speech net Thursday Wright, keenlytheO'Connor break net. Cup returned toof years. toovercameagain2013 leadquarter-finalpenalty defend finalin theagain contested,fromO’Connor took fromthesaw aafternoonIn headeddeadlockfew akicks a set-piece ofhoperesolutely, andplaythe oldUCDacompetitive minutesrosecorner victory rivalslead UCD andthathis asof itprogress at withback to liftingboth part in Boyle2pm.flew inUCC heldget whilelater over the 20the acrossinfirst-half, sides thetheirthepast on Captainminutes remaining.75th minute.their in Jordanstowntoheldbut 30th minute,Mary Immaculatestill cupcrucialthefor own.sub-keeperbattledit goallookingsemi-finalstrong wasa finaltomorrow,both hard-foughtDavid Tyrone McNelis loftedtouchand ruled afterhard sides generallythroughout dangerousRobbie after SamiO’Connor defeatJohnto onoutato bringing headtough College UCDtakeThursday forBelhout 2-1 BensonKelly of an and theintovictory.on failedgameishosts home into the the to 4 / 5 The Collingwood Cup 2013 Monday, 04 March 2013 16:53 UCDTournamentMcMillanhandledDorgan'sMichael were Dorgana couldpickedcrossbar. Michaelthe Robbie livelier have withup Whelan a Bensonput amisplacedside low the throughout drivedrive inside result(pictured) passthat beyond seemed justthe goingthe gameoutside anybox, closeto take doubt butand, the with he a with Cillianin thepenalty slightmanaged first-half closing deflection area efforts.Morrisonto before minutesblaze on his beatingandits after spot-kick wellway Player Andrew into'keeper of the the Nevillenet. over PicturedREFUCCMahon,CianUCDHanley,McLaughlin,ThisTheunderat Dent,Robbie