15 April 2010

Skipper Stephen O’Donnell  hammered home the winning strike minutes before the break as the Irish Defence Forces managed to hold  on to the Irish Pensions Trophy in the annual game against the Irish Universities at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines on Wednesday 14th April.

In a game of few chances for either side the experienced O’Donnell always  looked the most likely to score.His goal on 40 minutes came after the Universities defence failed to clear a right wing corner and the ball fell kindly for the Donegal man who shot low past Liam Grant for what proved to be the only score of the game.

O’Donnell then saw a tremendous long range volley pushed out for a corner  by Grant while later Tommy Fitzgibbon crashed a header off the Universities crossbar from Micky O’Shea’s accurate right wing cross.

The introduction of substitutes Ciaran Foley, Micky Gilmore and under 21 International  Seamus Conneely  boosted   the Universities side and late on Stephen Doyle was unlucky to see the Forces ‘keeper Shane Sherlock recover from a defensive mix up to smother his goal bound effort.

Irish Defence Forces: S Sherlock, P Mahon (J Armstrong 57), G Holligan, R McCann, A Corboy, S Fisher,T Griffiths (J Walsh 57), M O’Shea, S O’Donnell, I Cleary (T Fitzgibbon 66), P Gorman.Subs: D Keane, T Cullinane, K Reilly.

Irish Universities: L Grant, A Lee (S Conneely 75), M McSweeney, C O’Shaughnessy, B Cleary, P O’Brien (M Gilmore 75), E Dunne, C Mooney, M Rooney (C Foley 62), S Doyle, C Burke.Subs: M Conneely, N O’Carroll.

Referee: F Cunningham (Dublin).