News & Events
IADT Soccer Team win Colleges and Universities Football League Final
04-03-2009
Colleges and Universities Football League Final
IADT 5 Drogheda Institute of Further Education 2
A hat-trick from striker Chris Burgess proved decisive for IADT as they picked up the CUFL trophy for the very first time. From the first game back in October all the way through to the final IADT came through seven games to make their first appearance in the CUFL Final. In a very tough campaign where games took them all over the country from places such as Carlow to Tipperary the size of the achievement is huge.
The final took place at the Oscar Traynor Road Development Centre in Coolock on a very sunny and blustery day. IADT playing into the wind for the first half got the best start possible on 4 minutes when Chris Burgess played Craig Boyce in to calmly slot the ball past the advancing Drogheda keeper. Things got even better for IADT when on 10 mins Brian Clarke did brilliantly well to keep the ball alive when it looked like a lost cause, he passed it into the path of Chris Burgess inside the box who was then taken down just as he was about to pull the trigger. He dusted himself off and coolly slotted home the resulting penalty.
Drogheda had to do something to stop the momentum their opponents had gained and dully made a substitution which did wonders for the Louthmen. With 30 minutes on the clock they were back in the game thanks to a wonder goal from their striker who turned on the edge of the box to unleash an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net. This gave them renewed confidence and but for some excellent saves from Conor Banahan they would have put a few more on the scoreline. However the pressure told again once more when a volley from the striker found its way into the corner of the net despite the tight marking of Brian O’Sullivan. Things could have been worse for IADT just before the break when a corner broke inside the IADT penalty area and in the resultant scramble a goal bound shot was crucially blocked by Darragh Mc Ginley who through himself in the way of the ball.
A half time roasting from IADT manager Dave Gormley gave the team a well needed lift and within 5 minutes of the restart Chris Burgess had the ball in the net. IADT began to take control all over the pitch and were winning key battles with Barry Delaney and Peter Kennelly running the show from the middle of the park. Burgess again scored after he beat the offside trap to coolly slot the ball past the Drogheda keeper. The same man completed his hat trick on 70mins when he beat two players to bury to ball in the back of the net. For the second time in the game IADT had a two goal lead and great leadership from captain Niall Dwyer assured the lead would not slip one more. A very strong bench was used by manager Gormley and substitute Anto Sherry put the final nail in the coffin with a good finish at the back post with 5 minutes remaining. As the final whistle blew the celebrations could begin and as Niall Dwyer lifted the trophy on behalf of the team the curtain came down on a very successful year for this bunch of players.
Team:
1 Conor Banahan 2 Barry Cunningham 3 Darragh McGinley 4 Brian O’Sullivan 5 Niall Dwyer 6 Peter Kennelly 7 Ben Rooney 8 Barry Delaney 9 Chris Burgess 10 Brian Clarke 11 Craig Boyce 12 Conor Tobin 13 Shane Walsh 14 Barry Hand 15 Anto Sherry 16 Shane Kenny 17 Tony Smyth
Manager Dave Gormley
