Students prevail in all-Munster battle

An emphatic 5-1 Irish Trophy victory over last season’s quarter-finalists Catholic Institute kick-started UCC’s season in style at the Mardyke on Saturday. The fixture gods haven’t been kind to the Cork students, who have had to face last year’s top three in their opening four Munster league encounters, with just a 1-1 draw with Bandon to show in the credit column. Their foray into national competition also saw them pitted against Munster opposition, in a first-round tie that was one of just two top-level games to go ahead at the weekend, as the inclement weather wiped out the majority of the domestic and national schedule.

College’s ability to take their chances in the first half proved the difference, as they went in at half-time with a four-goal cushion. The first was the pick of the bunch, as Peter Catchpole skilfully took a Fionn O’Leary pass between his legs, rounded a defender and flicked past Institute netminder Tristan Murphy for his first goal for the club since his summer move from Cork Church of Ireland. Roger Gray’s drag-flick from a short corner move doubled the advantage, before Kilkenny native Colin Manning’s swivel and finish from the top of the circle did further damage. Gray flicked home another before elder brother Andrew Gray made it five from a broken down corner in the second half.  Eric Calendar claimed a fine consolation strike for Institute, embarking on a solo run and finishing at the second attempt after Brian Corcoran had saved his initial effort. College now face the winner of the Raphoe vs Bray tie — which fell victim to the weather — away from home in round two. Just one tie in a full women’s Irish Trophy first round programme went ahead, also in Cork as Leeside escaped the worst of the wintry conditions. That saw Belvedere take on Three Rock Ladies, with the Dublin girls coming away from Ballincollig with a 2-0 victory. This was always going to be a tough assignment for Bryan O’Donovan’s Belvedere, who have yet to earn a point since returning to Munster’s top flight and faced a TRL side who have chalked up five wins from five as they set the pace in Leinster’s second tier. Bridget Charmant has been the totem for the Grange Road outfit, and she broke the deadlock on Saturday, before Claire Fitzpatrick added an insurance strike.