In a closely-fought game, played in superb winter sunshine in Dangan on Sunday, NUIG ensured they grabbed the spoils with a goal in both halves to deny a high-flying Greenfields outfit.
The game was played at a fast pace and the teams were evenly matched, but it was the students who made the most of their chances.
Both sides had opportunities to take the lead during the first half. Greenfields were unlucky from a short corner when Neasa McGettigan’s shot was just too high, while the best chance came to NUIG after 20 minutes when Aoife Smith broke from the back and found Jane O’Higgins in the circle. She took a great shot which forced a superb save from Sinead Collins resulting in a short-corner.
On the half hour mark the break the students took the lead after Greenfields lost possession in midfield. NUIG found themselves with three-on-two in attack, with Jane O’Higgins supplying Aimee O’Connor who scored with a good shot to the right hand corner.
Greenfields, however, launched an attack just before the break, but Gillian Heavey’s solo effort went wide of the right-hand post. Greenfields, with the momentum, had the better of the earlier exchanges in the second half, but they were once again denied by NUIG keeper Emily Molloy. Their best chance came when Clodagh Grealy broke from the back and took a return pass from Neasa McGettigan, but her a superb shot forced an equally superb save.
However, it was NUIG who doubled their lead with a good goal after a good passage of play involving Amy Rossiter and Aimee O’Connor and a good finish by Jane O’Higgins.
