Trinity 13pts- Clontarf 17pts; December 9th 2017

Trinity had to face powerhouse Clontarf for the second time in a week. Playing Clontarf is always a massive physical encounter, so to play them twice in a week was always going to be a tough challenge. Last week Trinity proved they could go close by losing 29-24. On Saturday Trinity hoped to take the next step and actually beat last year’;s All Ireland Runner-up in College Park.

Trinity started the game on top and should possibly have come away with more than two penalties from James Fennelly. Two or three tries were squandered, as the students really put it up to the experienced North-siders in the opening half.

Clontarf, with many ex-professionals in their ranks, managed to weather the storm and were always going to create opportunities with out-half and ex-Trinity Captain Dave Joyce pulling the strings. Joyce kicked a penalty to keep his team close 6-3 at half time.

The two teams came out in the second half and attacked each other with tempo and aggression. At times Trinity lacked composure in the Clontarf 22 and then Clontarf scored a try, to lead 10-6.

Trinity were not at their attacking best, but threw everything at their rivals, eventually flanker Alex MacDonald broke free and fed Full back Michael Silvester who swerved around the last to defenders to score under the posts a for a fabulous try.

At 13 -10 with ten minutes to go, Trinity looked in control as they dominated possession but they failed to play the late game in the right part of the field, and they were severely punished once and for all when a back-line move misfired and Clontarf were given possession deep in Trinty’s half. Tarf scored a heart-breaking last minute try. The Students will have to learn the tough lesson of how to close a game out when your forwards are on top.

The Seniors now break for four weeks with their next AIL game in College Park v St Marys on January 6th 2018.

Trinity Team; 15 Micheal Silvester, 14 Evan Dixon, 13 Michael Courtney, 12 Seb Fromm, 11 Billy O’Hora, 10 James Fennelly, 9 Rowan Osborne, 1 James Bollard, 2 Patrick Finlay,3 Joe Byrne, 4

Jack Burke,5 Jack Dunne, 6 Alexander MacDonald, 7 Sam Pim, 8 Dave St Leger;

16 Dan Sheehan, 17 Darragh Higgins, 18 Richard Dunne, 19 Dan Joyce, 20 James Moriarty.

In the only other game of the weekend, Trinity Senior 4ths beat Parkmore in Santry 29-15.