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Gutsy Display by DCU Not Good Enough On the Day

DCU 1-8
GMIT 2-8

On an awful autumn's day in St. Claire's the hurlers of DCU and GMIT met in this 2nd round league match. Having been well beaten by the same opposition in Galway last year DCU were out to set the record straight and playing with the breeze burst out of the traps racing to a five point lead. The 1st score, a Niall O'Ceallachain free, was followed by points from Ronan Screeny, Shay Deegan, Damien Maher and Conor O'Loughlan.

GMIT were shell-shocked and against a stiff breeze they struggled to keep the ball in the DCU half where all six defenders were establishing a firm grip. GMIT's perseverance however started to pay off and before the break they managed to notch up three unanswered points (two from frees) as DCU squandered chances at the other end.

At half time DCU held only a two point lead and considering that the wind seemed to be building in to a gale you had to favour the Galwaymen at the break.
On the resumption of play it was clear that neither side was prepared to give and inch and both defences came to the forefront. For DCU Damian Maher and Paul Leonard in particular were doing some Trojan work and it was Maher himself who put over the first score of the half. Though GMIT held a strong advantage, playing with an ever-increasing wind, they struggled to gain scoring opportunities and high ball after high ball was picked from the sky and driven clear by the DCU defence. When GMIT did eventually get off the mark it was hard earned and 10 minutes in DCU still held a two point lead.

Then the game was turned on its head as the GMIT full forward managed to get the ball in space for the first time and punish DCU with a goal against the run of play. DCU's response was a fine score form play by David Lennon and you felt at this stage that it was still all up for grabs.Ten minutes later though and it seemed as though DCU's resilience was in vain as GMIT popped over three points before their corner forward managed to slip between corner back Liam Kinsella and goalkeeper Colm Mullane and bat the ball to the net. This gave the visitors a six point lead.

Many sides would have dropped the heads but DCU weren't prepared to give up the fight and a super point from hard working half forward Conor O'Loughlan was followed by some great interchanging play in the full forward line and a cracking Ronan Screeny goal.With the game approaching injury time DCU were still in the hunt and spurred on from midfield by Shay Deegan they piled on the pressure.

There's no doubt that if the conditions had've been better Niall O'Ceallachain 's last minute effort would have rattled the back of the GMIT net, instead of sailing inches wide of the post, but on the day it just wasn't to be. For DCU it turned out to be one of those games that somehow got away as the better side lost with the final scoreline of 2-8 to 1-8 favouring the visitors.

DCU: Colm Mullane, Paul Leonard, Fiachra Burns, Breandan Franks, Damien Maher, Ciaran Regan, Enda Slevin, Shay Deegan, Colm Hennebry, Conor O'Loughlan, Willy Doran, Brian O'Donnell, Niall O'Ceallachain, David Kelly, Ronan Screeny.
Subs: David Lennon for Willy Doran, Liam Kinsella for Paul Leonard.

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