By Michael Gaskin
Trinity got their season off to a solid start despite this one point loss to DIT last Thursday. The match was played out over the course of three 20 minute periods opposed to the traditional two 30 minute halves, in order to give both management teams a chance to try different tactics throughput the game.
With the light fading quickly, DIT began the brighter of the two sides and quickly got the first score of the match with a free on the Trinity 14m line effortlessly slotted over. After 15 minutes and DIT having built themselves a 5 points to 2 advantage, Trinity drew level after the visitors gave away a needless penalty. Thomas Corrigan was bundled over in the box and picked himself to put away the resulting penalty. With the end of the first period drawing near both sides put over points to leave the game poised at 1-3 to 0-6 and all to play for.
DIT came flying out of the blocks at the beginning of the second period, tagging on the first three points of the half. However Trinity once again drew level, after an excellent run by Aaron Hurley from the midfield he laid it off to Luke Thurley who powered the ball past a helpless DIT keeper. Further scores followed from Trinity against a DIT side that began to look tired after some players played the previous night.
Trinity had built themselves a 3 point lead, when DIT missed a golden opportunity to draw level. After a defence splitting run from the centre forward for DIT, he drilled a shot straight at Trinity goalkeeper Conal O’Hanlon who parried it away only for an opposition forward to fist the ball over the bar, to make it a 2 point game. Trinity can count themselves lucky, that in Conal O’Hanlon they have a very fine goalkeeper, after he pulled off a number of fine saves throughout the game including a penalty save after 40 minutes to keep them in touch with the DIT who peppered his goal with shots continually but to no avail.
In the third period of the game DIT put over 5 successive points, to give them a 3 point lead going into the final ten minutes. In a pulsating final, Trinity drew level thanks to some consistent fouling among the DIT backline. However they ultimately came up short as DIT tagged on a further two points to close out the game against a brave Trinity team who battled throughout the game and who scored with the final kick of the game, to give the visitors one point win.
