handy enough game, could have been 4 or 5 nil but one has to draw attention to brian shortall at the back. he is simply not good enough and i would even go as far as to mark him as a liability.
I'm reluctant to focus on such a negative after a 2-0 win. I thought at half time that the score flattered us but on the overall play over the 90 minutes we deserved to take the win. I've not been Matt Gregg's biggest fan but he was very solid today and was instrumental in our victory. He pulled off two good saves to keep us ahead at 1-0 before we nicked the second. I'm just delighted that we've ended this terrible streak of results and won this early six pointer.
gregg,king and finn are 3 players i would pick out as having performed very well tonight but we have to look at our defensive performance and say,even though bray were terrible,our defence was bad also and when they come up against the likes of jason byrne,glen crowe and mark quigley they will be torn to peices. some of the decisions were woeful at the back
Congratulations on your win tonight. Yez really outplayed us. We may have been poor but at least your lads were up for the game.
I thought Brian King was your MOTM. He created a lot of chances for yez and had a few good ones himself. Finn did well tonight as did Purcell and Byrne. I didn't think Gregg had too much to do but he did well when he had to.
I apologise for doubting yez so much pre-season.
Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista.
Cheers.Originally Posted by superfrank
True, he only had a couple of saves but we've been a bit wary about him and he didn't set a foot wrong tonight.I didn't think Gregg had too much to do but he did well when he had to.
It's early days yet. As McGlinchey pointed out, the defence isn't that solid. We've also got a weak squad. Another six pointer next week with Harps.I apologise for doubting yez so much pre-season.
Thanks very much Superfrank. I was talking to a couple of Bray fans after the game. They rightly pointed out that both teams have a long way to go before they can claim any triumphant attitude.
UCD got lucky with the scrappy first blood, and the second goal from Byrne appeared a bit odd. Did the Bray defence slow up for an expected infringement. Byrne was able to run through for the goal.
UCD were happen it appears to let the game develop into a scrappy affair, if because we did all the hard work in the first half-an-hour.
I am delighted with the win, but I would like more away wins early on this season and affirm the Belfield Bowl as a Fortress.
" I'll go right up to here,
it can't possibly hurt.
All they will find is my
beer and my shirt."
What is the solution to this problem then in everyone's opinion?draw attention to brian shortall at the back. he is simply not good enough and i would even go as far as to mark him as a liability
in my opinion there are 3 ways of dealing with this!
1) give him some more time because he should come good
2) Drop mcnally back into defence and play Fitzer
3) Give evan mcmillan a start at centre half
what are ever1's thoughts?
I think we need mcnally in midfield so id like to see him stay there! mayb give shorty a bit more time and if he doesnt improve give mcmillan a chance
Last edited by U-C-D; 15/03/2008 at 4:12 PM.
My thoughts exactly.
Though very harsh to be picking on players after a performance like that, to be honest.
I see the RTÉ report notes our second scorer as Paul Burne, and puts up an old picture of Stephen Hurley. Which they've done before.
Last edited by pineapple stu; 15/03/2008 at 4:14 PM.
i agree and considering i didnt see the game im prehaps not the best person to comment on this, i would like to see this line-up play again before i can have a proper opinion on it!Though very harsh to be picking on players after a performance like that, to be honest.
all in all a good win so early in the season! hopefully most players can stay fit and can continue the good early form shown because injuries will hurt such a small squad!
A goal apiece from UCD's front line of Timmy Purcell and Paul Byrne sent UCD on their way to a comfortable - and possibly hugely important - 2-0 win over Bray Wanderers in the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night. UCD gained completel control of the game by the second half, and could have won by more only to be twice denied by the woodwork.
As expected, the starting XI for the game against Derry were retained, while Bray gave a debut to ex-Student Andy Myler in place of the suspended Pat Kavanagh. UCD's bench was also unchanged, which meant no comeback yet for Derek Doyle.
UCD took the lead in the first serious attack of the game - a corner from Brian King was poorly defended, and after Paul Byrne's shot was half-cleared, Timmy Purcell pounced to ram the rebound into the net.
Bray responded, and went close to equalising a couple of times in the next quarter hour. Bray broke away down the right after the referee ignored an elbow on Brian Shortall, Andy Myler sent the ball across goal and Mark Duggan powered in a header which, fortunately for UCD, was too close to Matt Gregg, who parried away well. Two minutes later, Gary McCabe's winding run was halted on the edge of the area, but Alan Cawley fired the free kick over. UCD countered immediately, but Pat McWalter's cross-cum-shot was just a bit too ambitious to be able to beat Chris O'Connor in the Bray goal. And midway through the half, Matt Gregg had to pull off the save of the match from Mark Duggan's 25 yard pile driver.
On 28 minutes though, UCD doubled their lead. Ronan Finn's flick pass found Byrne in behind the Bray defence and bearing down on O'Connor; the Aussie keeper stopped Byrne the first time, but the rebound fell nicely, and Byrne ran on to tap into an empty net with the Bray defence looking around for an offside flag which never came.
Three minutes later, UCD nearly scored a third in bizarre circumstances. O'Connor came to the edge to pick up a through ball, and as he prepared to kick the ball out, the linesman flagged for a free kick, presumably for O'Connor carrying the ball outside his area. O'Connor was booked, the free was taken short to Ronan Finn, whose 25-yard curler was inches wide.
Truth be told, the half time score flattered UCD as Bray were well in the game, although UCD's forwards were getting far more room than their Bray counterparts. But with the withdrawal of Andy Myler and Alan Cawley at half time, Bray ceded the initiative to UCD, who very quickly took complete control of the game. Brian King nearly scored a sensational goal when his drive from all of 30 yards was only just tipped onto the top of the bar by the retreating O'Connor, while Conor Kenna hit the post with a header from a corner and King had good chances, but they came on his weaker foot, and he couldn't get the required power behind his shot. It mattered now, as the Students easily saw out the remainder of the match to move up to fifth in the still very formative league table.
UCD - Gregg; Mahon, Bermingham, Kenna, Shortall; McNally, King, McWalter, Finn; Byrne, Purcell. Subs not used - Brennan, McMillan, Forsyth, Fitzgerald, Gallagher.
Att - c 1000
Good performance, even if Bray were awful. It's nice to see that we have enough firepower up front to take advantage when we're that much on top of a team.
From extratime.ie:Almost as strange!In the 38th minute, Bray were awarded a free-kick for offside when Timmy Purcell had a chance in the area. Keeper Chris O'Connor was incensed at the linesman and was booked for dissent.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
The linesman wouldn't have flagged for dissent though. Pretty sure we wouldn't have gotten a free for it either. And finally, the keeper wouldn't have had the ball in his hands ready for a kick out if it were a free.
I'd say the reporter was thoroughly confused and that was all he could come up with!
You'd never have thought so after the first 30 mins of the Derry game but we're currently sitting in fourth. Totally academic at this point but it's aesthetically pleasing none the less.
Not the case.
Bray were awarded a free after Purcell's shot was saved by O'Connor, presumably for offside. UCD players began to retreat up the pitch and for some reason O'Connor started abusing the linesman. He got a yellow and UCD had an indirect free which Byrne (iirc) had a shot that went just wide.
EDIT: The UCD reporter was in the press box too so he didn't have a better view.
Last edited by superfrank; 16/03/2008 at 1:52 PM.
Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista.
Finn I think.
I've never heard of a free kick being reversed for dissent in football before though I suppose it's usually the penalised team that would be giving out!
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
I don't understand why he was complaining but it was a Bray free. Ref blew for a free, Skippy let go at the lino as the UCD players were retreating. He still had the ball in his hands and that's why someone might think UCD were awarded the free for handball outside the area.
The ref confronted him over having a go at the lino, booked him and awarded UCD a free where Skippy was standing at the time, I thought it was inside the box but I'm not certain.
Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista.
That was my thinking. We were down the other end of the covered stand and I couldn't really see where the free was and all I could think of was that he'd carried the ball out. Pineapple was sitting beside me and probably paid too much attention to my thoughts.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Problem with that theory is that it requires the ref to be remarkably incompetent to reverse a free.
Oh, wait...
RTÉ post match interviews.
Although I also wouldn't have Shorthall in my first XI I thought he had a solid game on Friday. It was probably his best performance since he re-signed last summer. Even though Bray weren't up to much upfront that performance will help build his confidence and hopefully he can start playing his best football once again.
I don't McNally was that great in midfield on Friday. He gave the ball away a lot by either weakly passing it with the outside of his foot or trying the killer pass too often. While King has done well so far I think he is being wasted on the right wing. I think the team would be better setup with McNally in defence, Kinger in the centre and Fitz on the wing.
Thanks once again Superfrank for providing the simple solution. I do remember the Bray keeper chasing across the box, ball in hand. Perhaps at the time, it looked like he wanted to make a to make a quick kickout .. hit someone (at another time I would have suggested he held on to the ball too long..)
Pineapple stu rather than applauding those with the information and the quick decision makers like the refereee, choses the opposite route. It is another timely reminder that the officials have to make decisions on the spot. I spent several hours after the game with both [/I]pineapple stu[I] and Schumi and neither mentioned the Bray keeper, referee nor the free.
Because alternatives are presented to them now, suddenly it is an issue for them
Last edited by Schumi; 17/03/2008 at 3:22 PM. Reason: Removal of needless personal abuse.
" I'll go right up to here,
it can't possibly hurt.
All they will find is my
beer and my shirt."
Posting Permissions
Quote
Bookmarks