The University of Ulster Coleraine soccer team has won the NICAFL Division Two Freshers’ Cup.

The first year side defeated South Eastern Regional College (SERC) 1-0 in the final, with Phillip Carson grabbing the winner in the first half.

Team manager Patrick Trolan said: “This year was always going to be a transitional period for Coleraine University soccer and we had no misconceptions about how tough this season would be. In saying this, it is a real bonus to gain Freshers of the calibre of which we have, in terms of ability and personality, and if these young players continue to play together then the future for Coleraine student soccer is very bright.”

The Coleraine team started slowly against a SERC side that came through a tough league against Ulster’s Jordanstown campus and QUB to progress to the final, and their quality certainly showed in the initial exchanges.

As the half progressed, Coleraine gained momentum and played some great football, creating several excellent chances, until the inevitable goal came in the form of a back-post volley from the man of the match Phillip Carson.

The second half saw SERC applying sustained pressure on the Coleraine defence. However, the University of Ulster side played on the counter attack and missed several excellent chances, had a goal disallowed, and had a penalty claim ignored by the referee.