The University of Ulster’s Jordanstown campus will face Belfast rivals QUB in the quarter-finals of the Collingwood Cup today.
Jordanstown triumphed 2-0 over DCU in the first round of matches in the showpiece competition of university soccer, this year hosted for the first time by the University of Ulster’s Magee campus. Jonathan McClurg and Stephen Doyle grabbed the goals for Shane McCullough’s side.
QUB took the scalp of another Ulster side, beating University of Ulster Coleraine 3-1 at St Columb’s playing fields. After half and hour of play, Queen’s scored all three in five minutes to advance them to today‘s derby clash. Eamon Black, Paddy Donnelly and Jamie Gardner scoring. Chris Lavery got the goal for Coleraine in the second half.
McCullough was upbeat ahead of Jordanstown facing QUB but was under no illusion of the task at hand: “We had a good result today, we didn’t play as well as we might have, and missed some great chances – but we are through to the quarter-finals, and I’m looking forward to the games against Queen’s.
“It is a tough draw for us. The DCU side we played today are as good a DCU I have seen in a long time – and it could have gone either way.”
In today’s afternoon kick-off, Magee face Trinity College Dublin, in the quarter-final at the Brandywell Showgrounds, with both teams having received a bye from the first round.
Martin McCann, manager of the Magee side, said: “Everyone’s really looking forward to the game. It will be hard for us, but no games in the Collingwood are ever easy and I’ll just be asking the boys to give it everything.”
McCann’s plans for the tournament were thrown into disarray last week with two of his star players Gerard McClintock and captain Hugh Carlin both breaking bones in their legs within days of each other.
“It’s so unfortunate for the two lads and a big loss for us but that’s how football is sometimes,” said McCann.
In today’s other quarter-finals, University College Cork face University College Dublin, and NUI Galway are up against University of Limerick.
Cork needed a 4-2 win on penalties in the first round to edge past Mary Immaculate College, after the game finished 1-1. While NUI Galway eased through to the last eight with a 4-0 win over the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.
Monday’s results:
NUI Galway 4-0 Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
Scorers: Enda Dunne, Mickey Gilmore (2), Dave Shovlin
University College Dublin 2-1 Maynooth
Scorers: UCD - Dave McMillian, Stuart Houston. Maynooth - Ross Cullinane
University College Cork 1 Mary Immaculate 1 (UCC win 4-2 on penalties)
Scorers: UCC - Josh O Shea. Mary Immaculate - Donnagh Higgins
Queens University Belfast 3-1 University of Ulster Coleraine
Scorers: QUB - Eamon Black, Paddy Donnelly and Jamie Gardner. Coleraine - Chris Lavery
University of Ulster Jordanstown 2-0 Dublin City University
Scorers: Jonathan McClurg, Stephen Doyle
Tuesday’s fixtures: (all 2:30pm kick off)
University College Cork v University College Dublin
University of Ulster Jordanstown v Queen’s University Belfast
NUI Galway v University of Limerick
University of Ulster Magee v Trinity College Dublin