Redmond sets tone for UCD
UCD 0-13
Athlone IT 0-4
this first-round match did little to raise the mercury on a freezing night at Belfield.
UCD started brightly when scoring two fine points, but by the 20- minute mark Athlone were very much in the contest, trailing by just 0-4 to 0-3.
The winners upped the intensity before the break to score three unanswered points and, with the benefit of a stiff breeze to come in the second half, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the favourites would win without too much bother.
And so it came to pass. Even though they had to toil hard for them, they scored the first four points of the second half to make the win safe as leading lights like Rory O'Carroll, Shane Redmond and Alan Giles set the tone.
To their credit, Athlone never stopped trying, but a solitary point was all they had to show for their second half endeavours.
Scorers -- UCD: A Giles 0-3, S Redmond, L Smith, C Carty (2f), D Kingston (2f) 0-2 each, C Murphy, K Dyas both 0-1. Athlone IT: D McGovern, A Sullivan, P Bannon, E Clarke (f) 0-1 each.
UCD -- M MacFhionnlaoch; J Hayes, C Forde, P Kelly; C Barrett, R O'Carroll, S Redmond; C Murphy, M Coghlan; C Carthy, K Dyas, C Dias; D Larkin, D Kingston, A Giles. Subs: L Smith for D Larkin (43), R Mallon for C Carthy (46), L Cawley for C Dias (57), L Keaney for R O'Carroll (60).
Athlone IT -- G Connaughton; R Dunne, C Duignan, D Maleady; A Rowan, M McCallon, T Rahill; D Cash, P Bannon; E Clarke, J Dolan, A Sullivan; A Caul, F Burke, D Egan. Subs: D McGovern for D Maleady, C Duggan for E Clarke (both h-T), P Masterson for D Egan (55).
Irish Independent
