Inspired fightback earns DCU hurlers a draw

DCU Hurling Men’s Fresher team fought back from eight points down with ten minutes remaining to salvage a 3-19 to 5-13 draw against Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in an entertaining game at St. Clare’s.

Goals in the last ten minutes from DCU’s powerful full-forward Walter Welshe and timely substitute Niall Brennan kickstarted the comeback which was completed with points by Donal McNally and Matt Gowdle.

DCU’s assistant manager Seamus Kelly was pleased with his side’s perseverance to overturn an eight point deficit but felt his side had done enough to win.

“It’s a game we could have won,” Kelly said after the match, “but I’ll take that result. They showed the character and intensity that I wanted from them today.”

This opening Roinn 1A league clash was tense from beginning to end. The GMIT sideline accused the referee of tallying the score wrongly at the final whistle, claiming they won by a point. GMIT led by five points or more on three occasions but failed to capitalise on their advantage each time.

The game started scrappily with both teams failing to hold onto the ball for any great period, resulting in six scores in the opening ten minutes.

GMIT scored the game’s first goal 14 minutes in when a hopeful ball forward was not dealt with by DCU. Left corner-forward Gearoid O’Lionlaithe took full advantage, lashing the ball past helpless DCU goalkeeper Aiden O’Morain.

Kilkenny prospect JJ Lennon enjoyed a decent day’s scoring for DCU, notching six points from nine frees. Lennon was also involved in much of DCU’s good play and set up Gavin Muldoon to finish emphatically for DCU’s opening goal.

And although another GMIT long ball found its way into the net after some confusion in the DCU backline, it was DCU who led by a point at the break.

DCU started the second half slowly with GMIT scoring 1-2 and having a goal disallowed for a square ball before registering their first point of the half through Gowdle.

But GMIT were awarded a penalty in the 45th minute after Cathal O’Brien was fouled in the square and scored their fourth goal of the game from the rebound.

And things got worse for DCU in the 51st minute when last man Jake Jackson was dispossessed by O’Brien who scored GMIT’s fifth. That should have been enough for GMIT before DCU’s late resurgence made the game level.

The last chance of the game was made by GMIT’s Eoin Mac Giouarnath with only two minutes to go. Mac Giouarnath charged into DCU’s half and looked poised to score until a crucial intervention by DCU’s Brian Ahern stopped Mac Giouarnath’s run.

Kelly is now optimistic that his squad has enough strength in depth to win the Roinn 1A this season.

“You can see a strong bond forming between the lads, even in the huddle at the end of the game there, and it’s only game one,” Kelly said.

“We have boys waiting to come in too, so I expect to win this league. That’s the ambition.”