UCD kicked off their Airtricity League Premier Division season in positive style as they travelled to Hunky Dory Park and claimed the full three points from Drogheda United.

Situated between the hospital and the cemetery, Hunk Dory Park seems ideally placed for Drogheda United.   Dead but not buried, the Drogs were resurrected as a First Division team and then catapulted from intensive care back into the Premier Division a few days before the big kick off.   Cue the arrival of Mick Cooke just in time to scramble a team together for the visit of UCD.

Former UCD stalwart Alan McNally answered Cooke’s call and, with just one training session to his credit, lined up alongside veterans David Freeman and John Lester in front of rookie keeper David Quirk, making his first appearance at this level.   Young Quirk, handicapped by inexperience and small of stature did well enough but, contrary to what you will hear elsewhere, was not the man of the match.   A liability on crosses, he was marked absent when Cillian Morrison bundled the winning goal home from within the goal area with ten minutes left.

Pre-season chaos is clearly no way to run a professional league but for all that the fare on offer was worth the admission price.   It started nervously with a blunder at each end within the first minute.   Keeper Quirk’s kicked clearance surprised Rusk who failed to capitalise.   Then UCD defender Sean Harding slipped, letting Corcoron in on the left but that too came to nothing tangible.   Five minutes later Dean Marshall’s trickery put Morrison through but the young striker’s effort was tentative and the advancing Quirk blocked with his legs. Then Morrison slipped past Whelan on the outside but when he crossed low the keeper dealt with that too.   At the other end Ger Barron, under less pressure, was a commanding figure; one prodigious punch in a crowded goalmouth under pressure sent the ball thirty yards to the sanctuary of the touch line.   But Barron had the odd anxious moment, trapping Hand’s cross from the left against the post only to discover that the ball had already gone out of play.   Then the big keeper had to move his feet fast to deal with a high bouncing ball that threatened his charge.

There was plenty of good football from both sides with former Drogheda defender Yael Haro continuing to impress at the heart of the visitors defence and he came close to scoring with a long range drive that singed an upright.   Corcoran, Drogheda’s main goal threat, reciprocated at the other end on the half hour and Lester, until his legs failed him, prompted United’s initiative.   Quirke juggled a cross from O’Callaghan and palmed away from a corner forced by Marshall but the young Drogs keeper did well to push Rusk’s well directed shot away for a corner seven minutes before the interval.

The Students superior fitness took its toll and Whelan made a last ditch headed clearance from right in front of goal with his keeper neither coming nor calling just four minutes into the second period.   Quirke struggled with a series of three UCD corners that followed and was fortunate when Rusk blocked his kicked clearance but the ball rebounded to safety.

By then manager Russell had made two shrewd substitutions.   Meenan was one, looking sharp and focused, a quality he had lacked in Lisburn on Monday when, unprotected by the referee, he had been replaced at half time after a booking for kicking the ball away in frustration.   The other arrival was Paul O’Conor who had been left on the bench to facilitate a first start for Morrison.   Russell persevered with the young striker and was rewarded when he secured the points.

Ciaran Nangle, whose initiative when overlapping into space had sometimes gone unrecognised, benefited from a fine pass from Haro. A surging run from the full back provided Morrison with the opportunity to open his Airtricity account.

Drogheda had thirteen minutes to save the game and came nearest when John Lester cut in from the right to hit a fierce drive past Barron into the side netting, leaving the keeper to remonstrate with his defenders.   The game ended as it started with Harding slipping over but skipper Michael Leahy, an elegant presence throughout, came to the rescue.

DROGHEDA UTD: David Quirk; Brian Gannon, Alan McNally, Gareth Whelan, Stephen Quigley; David Freeman, Stephen McCrossan, John Lester, Mark O’Brien, Philip Hand (Sean Skelly 78); Daniel Corcoran (Darragh Hanaphy 57).

UCD: Ger Barron; Sean Harding, Michael Leahy, Yael Haro, Ciaran Nangle; Dean Marshall (Paul O’Conor 66), Paul Corry, Robbie Creevy, Ger O’Callaghan (Darren Meenan 66); Graham Rusk, Cillian Morrison.

Referee: Neil Doyle

Friday 4 March 2011, Hunky Dory Park

UCD 1 (Morrison 80) DROGHEDA UTD 0