RUSTLERS CUFL DIVISION TWO FINAL
NATIONAL COLLEGE OF IRELAND 3 GALWAY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE 0
Josh Hogan with a brilliantly taken hat-trick was the star of the show as National College of Ireland strode to a comfortable 3-0 win over Galway Technical Institute in the Colleges and Universities Division Two Final at Athlone Town Stadium.
Hogan, a former St. Patrick’s Athletic Under-19 players who is focusing on studies in this his final year at the Dublin college was in top form in front of goal to punish the Galway side with some clinical finishing.
The striker rattled Galway with a couple of first half goals before going on to complete his hat-trick after the break from the penalty spot.
NCI were by far the better side in the opening half and Hogan had them in front on 16-minutes when he picked up a loose ball outside the Galway box and shot low into the bottom corner of Ethan Fahy’s net.
Galway missed a great opportunity to get back on terms just over the half hour after a decent spell of play.
A great run from midfield took Ryan Gallagher into the NCI box and he set up the unmarked Tresor Sangii with a delightful square pass bang in front of goal.
But with the equaliser odds on to arrive Sangii’s finish flew well over the cross.
Galway were then punished for the miss shortly after as Hogan fired home his second goal with a first time finish from a Rufus Ngegwe low cross.
Ngegwe had an early second half opportunity to increase the NCI lead but his effort from distance was well off the target.
Minutes later Ngegwe attacked down the left and as he burst into the Galway box centre back Ethan Connolly took him down.
That gave Hogan the opportunity to complete his hat trick and he duly placed his spot kick well out of Fahy’s reach.
Undaunted manager Johnny Glynn made a couple of substitutions that gave his side a lift and Jordan Carr hit the post with a fine effort while later Calvin Toye saw his finish from the edge of the NCI box go over.
Galway kept battling away in the hope of clawing something back and after a great by Ryan Burke that took him in close his shot came off the NCI post.
NCI were deserved winners as they were comfortable for the majority of the game and under no real pressure from disappointing Galway side.
The Dubliners were helped by the goal scoring form of Hogan and a solid back line with skipper Ciaran Maguire and Cian Walsh outstanding while the midfield was controlled by the experienced Armstrong Bekombo and Ronan O’Kelly did a great job in the number 10 role.
Man of the Match: Josh Hogan (NCI)
NATIONAL COLLEGE OF IRELAND: Adam Leonard; Conor Smith, Cian Walsh, Ciaran Maguire, Joseph Bankole; Armstrong Bekombo, Dylan Bermingham, Nabil Omar, Ronan O’Kelly, Rufus Ngegwe; Josh Hogan.
Subs: Sean Hallahan (for Omar 22), Aymen Siouane (for Ngegwe 61), Shane Stokes (for Bankole 74), Jamie Carter (for O’Kelly 78).
GALWAY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE: Ethan Fahy; Hakim Ryan, Oran O’Reilly, Ethan Connolly, Jack Geaney; Calvin Toye , Dean Murphy; Des Costello Hynes, Ryan Burke, Tresor Sangil; Ryan Gallagher.
Subs: Jordan Carr (for O’Reilly h-t), Mattheus Cabral (for Greaney h-t), Stephen Iridale (for Sangii 55), Alex Cleary (for Costello Hynes 79), Adnan Hamze (for Connolly 80). Not used: Josh Gaynor.
Referee: Declan Tolan Assistants: Willie Stokes, Paul Malone.
RUSTLERS CUFL MEN’S DIVISION FOUR FINAL
UCC ‘D’ 7 BRAY INSTITUTE OF FE 0
A seven-goal haul without reply gave UCC ‘D’ side the honours against Bray Institute of Further Education in a one sided Colleges and Universities Division Four final at Athlone Town Stadium.
The Cork side, beaten last Sunday on penalties in the Irish Universities Crowley Cup Final by Maynooth University bounced back in style from that set back to record their biggest victory of the season.
Bray looked well up for the task of picking up a league title themselves in the early period of the game and Patrick Walker tested goalkeeper Daniel Murphy with a well struck free kick.
However when UCC hit the front on the half hour with the opening goal they grew in stature and after a second arrived by half-time they were well in control.
The second-half produced a further five goals for the Cork boys however the Bray cause suffered with the dismissal of skipper and central defender Craig Adamson at the midway point after receiving his second yellow.
Dylan Bradley opened the UCC account on 30-minutes with a super strike from 25-yards that gave Bray ‘keeper Ryan McGuirk little chance of keeping out following good work by Sean O’Callaghan to win possession and set up the chance.
Lughaidh Wiseman increased the UCC lead on the stroke of half time with a clinical finish after both Bradley and Conor Kelly had failed to get a touch on Jimmy Goldsmith’s cross.
A second Bradley goal a thumping header from Scott Philpott’s free six minutes into the second half stretched the UCC advantage.
Shortly after Alex O’Connor finished off a clever short corner routine involving Philpott by tucking home the fourth.
By this stage Bray had lost Adamson and more misfortune was to quickly come when Tom Mason beat McGuire with a long range effort.
UCC captain Jimmy Goldsmith added a sixth minutes later and substitute Suddy Nair made it 7-0 to wrap up a comprehensive win with 15-minutes remaining.
Later a couple of brilliant saves by McGuirk kept the UCC total at seven but they on the day they were no match for a rampant UCC side.
Man of the Match: Dylan Bradley (UCC).
UCC ‘D’: Liam Cotter; Daniel Murphy, Alex O’Connor, Sean Varian, Scott Philpott; Tom Mason, Conor Kelly; Lughaidh Wiseman, Dylan Bradley, Jimmy Goldsmith; Patrick O’Callaghan.
Subs: Zeno Eusepi Harris (for Murphy h-t), Keith White (for Mason 60), Suddy Nair (for Kelly 63), Sam Powell (for O’Callaghan 63), Cillian Desmond (Philpott 77). Not used: Vjeko Vondra, Mason Ferris, Stephen Galvin.
BRAY INSTITUTE OF FE: Ryan McGuirk; Gavin Goodwin, Craig Adamson Jordan Conroy, Shane Mangan, Stewart Nolan; Antonio Morau, Mark Mullen, Callum McNulty, Patrick Walker; Shane Lincoln.
Subs: Emmet McKenna (for Morau 62), Sean McAteer (for Nolan 67), Evan Butler (for Conroy 76), Ryan Khalaf (for Walker 76), Dale Kelly (Lincoln (for 76).
Referee: Ultan Beaumont Assistants: Des McEnery, Willie Stokes.