News & Fixtures

 

UCD travelled to Morton Stadium on Friday night and came away with a fantastic 2-1 win against Sporting Fingal courtesy of Andy Boyle and Evan McMillan.

Masking his disappointment, Liam Buckley was, as always, charm personified.   He was, he said, “philosophical” about surrendering three points to two set play headers, to conceding a late winner in a game Sporting might well have won.   Come the next team talk philosophy may well have given way to inquisition.

To be fair, Sporting’s defence was improvised, lacking four key members, O’Brien suspended, Maher and Browne injured and Paisley not fit enough to start.   The diminutive Gannon partnered midfielder Williams in central defence; the visitors had Evan Williams and Andy Boyle, regular practitioners in this department.   They performed with resolution and chipped in with the goals to boot.

But it was the home side who scored early, Lorcan Fitzgerald to Zayed, Zayed to Conan Byrne on the right.   Back to Zayed.   One-nil.   Only three minutes on the clock and Byrne and Ronan Finn threatening to run riot.   But UCD survived the onslaught, Brennan parries Finn’s fierce drive on 5 minutes, Evan McMillan blocks another from the same source, Kirby shoots wide.   Carpe diem but Sporting’s moment has passed and the visitors emerge from their shadow to indicate they can play a bit too.

By the eighteenth minute UCD are asking questions.   Williams impedes Wilson and Corry’s precision free kick on the right is perfectly flighted for Boyle on the far post to execute a text book header back across the keeper and into the net.   Now the Students are in the ascendancy and only a great last ditch tackle by Williams prevents Kilduff from capitalising on David McMillan’s excellent through pass.   McMillan Junior has been in goal scoring mode of late and almost adds to his tally twice before the interval.   On 27 minutes Wilson skins Fitzgerald on the right but McMIllan’s drive from eight yards is brilliantly turned over by Clarke.   And when McMillan does beat the Fingal keeper just before half time Fitzgerald makes a desperate goal line clearance.   Meanwhile Brennan has been in action in the other goal plunging to deflect another Byrne effort up, up and away.

Conan Byrne is flying again after the re-start and Boyle has to come across to help out before Kirby provides the flanker with his next sight of goal only for Byrne to fire narrowly wide.   David McMIllan was brought down three times in rapid succession but Mr Graeme Kelly only penalised Williams third effort and nothing materialised from the free kick.

Billy Brennan made a wonderful fingertip save to prevent Kirby from giving Sporting the lead as the home side started to lay siege on the UCD goal.   Manager Martin Russell was brave enough to replace his tiring midfield stars Creevy and Corry with the returning Roche and debutant Paul O’Conor and it paid off.   Roche fed Wilson on the right and home keeper Clarke just got there in time to snuff out his dangerous through ball.

But it was from free kick on the right that the match was ultimately won.   Chris Mulhall took it and then had to trot across to the left to take the resulting corner kick.   Over it came and Evan McMillan, with a finely judged run, planted a searing header into the top corner of the helpless Clarke’s net.   Frustration for the home fans but a thrilling game none the less which keeps Sporting off the top spot and promotes UCD to contender status.

SPORTING FINGAL : Brendan Clarke; Colm James, Shaun Williams, Brian Gannon, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Shane McFaul, Ronan Finn, Alan Kirby (Shane Barrett 87); Conan Byrne, Glen Crowe, Eamon Zayed (Keith Quinn 78).

UCD : Billy Brennan; Brian Shortall (Sean Harding 70), Evan McMillan, Andy Boyle, Ciaran Nangle; Paul Corry (Paul O’Conor 80), Robbie Creevy (Stephen Roche 74), Chris Mulhall; Dwayne Wilson, Ciaran Kilduff, David McMillan.

Referee: Mr Graeme Kelly

By Brian de Salvo