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Can't hear much on the telly. Though you can clearly hear Pete Mahon shouting at stages. Mics must have been the other side of the ground...
Match report - having watched the video, here we go!
For the second time this season, UCD were left to rue their finishing in taking a 1-1 draw away from Bohemians. Bohs, who have lost just one game in 11 since their 1-1 draw in Belfield, were relieved at the final whistle as UCD spurned a number of excellent chances to close the gap to the top half of the table.
UCD made two changes from the team which lost in Derry – Aaron McEniff was in for his league debut at left-back having impressed in the League Cup; Mick O’Donnell was pushed to left mid and Derek Doyle dropped to the bench, while Robbie Martin came in for Anto Murphy up front. The game was played in torrential rain throughout, which saw several players struggle to keep their footing on the slippery surface. Indeed, at half-time, the Bohs ground staff had to re-paint the lines which had been washed clean away; it didn’t work and at the game’s end, the entire centre-circle and half-way line was reduced to one ghostly blob representing the centre-spot.
UCD had the game’s first chance when Robbie Martin got space to drill in a low cross across the six-yard box which Matt Gregg in the Bohs area was equal to. However, it was Bohs who were in control early on, though it wasn’t until the tenth minute that they got their first chance, with Gareth Farrelly shooting at Darren Quigley from 25-yards. Farrelly picked up a knock in the incident, requiring three stitches, as Tony McDonnell arrived late with a challenge and was eventually subbed off. Either the ref missed the incident or put it down to the weather rather than malicious intent on the part of UCD’s captain, but no further action was taken.
However, Bohs were still pressing and playing good football; Darren Quigley made a superb stop from a shot on the turn from Stephen Ward before John Paul Kelly gave Bohs the lead with a shot from 25 yards into the corner, with Quigley possibly unsighted by Alan McNally.
Instead of the goal giving Bohs the confidence to push further on, it served as a spur for UCD to take over the game, and within three minutes, the Students could have been level when Stephen Hurley rose to loop a header against the post; Tony McDonnell just couldn’t get a touch to divert the ball’s path the vital couple of inches required to draw UCD level.
However, three minutes later again, UCD were level. Robbie Martin picked the ball up on the right and turned and played a ball into Tony McDonnell just inside the box; he was barged in the back by Stephen Rice. The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty which, in truth, looked a soft decision; it was noticeable, however, that there were no complaints from the Bohs players, and in their post-match interviews, both managers said they felt the decision was correct. Robbie Martin blasted the ball straight down the middle to equalise.
On 37 minutes, Stephen Hurley found space on the right to whip in a cross which Pat McWalter, unmarked, headed narrowly over, while four minutes later, it was Hurley’s turn to miss as he sliced wide after being played through by a fine pass from Gary Dicker. However, Bohs could have been ahead at the break only for Darren Quigley’s fine one-handed save from Fergal Harkin’s low free-kick.
UCD started the second half well in the ascendancy; first, Robbie Martin took the ball past the last Bohs defender only for Matt Gregg to be swiftly out of his goal to clear, and a minute later, Mick O’Donnell missed a remarkable chance when slicing wide from six yards after eircom Man-of-the-match Tony McDonnell had headed down a free from the left. It was a woeful miss from the normally composed Donegal man, who was unmarked and had the Bohs keeper scrambling desperately to get across. Indeed, UCD’s biggest failing was in getting their shots on target, with only one-third of their twelve attempts being accurate. Bohs, for their part, weren’t much better – four from seventeen was their stat – but UCD’s chances were far clearer and the misses far worse.
Ten minutes into the half, McDonnell was causing problems for the Bohs defence again; this time, his stooping header from Robbie Martin’s corner required a good save from Matt Gregg. And after Dominic Foley had fired harmlessly over from a free-kick right on the edge of the area, McDonnell chased down a deep cross from McEniff to set up Stephen Hurley, but Hurley’s first-time shot was just wide of Gregg’s far post. And four minutes later, McEniff played Pat McWalter through; Matt Gregg advanced to narrow the angle, but McWalter touched the ball past him and watched as the shot dribbled just wide of the far post; in fact, nearly going in off a bobble in the ground.
Bohs did have chances – after a weak clearance from McEniff, John Paul Kelly put across a good cross only for Alan Mahon to get in front of Foley and clear for a corner. From the corner, former Student Terry Palmer headed just over with his first touch.
The game did peter out towards a draw, although it was UCD who created the game’s best chance in the closing stages, when McWalter’s pace again caused problems to take him past his man and bear down on Gregg; his shot was firmly struck, but Gregg pulled off a superb stop to deny College. And from the corner, McDonnell was once again left unmarked to head inches wide.
Bohs’ frustration showed as the game entered injury-time – first, James Keddy, another facing his former club and in McDonnell, his former teammate, was booked for a late challenge, while Dessie Byrne was lucky not to be booked for a very late challenge on Alan Mahon; the referee had seemed set to book him before being distracted by an off-ball kick on Brian Gannon from John Paul Kelly, who was immediately shown the red card.
The UCD defence did have to deal with a corner in the sixth minute of injury-time – though the fourth official had signalled just three – but the disappointed reaction of captain Tony McDonnell and manager Pete Mahon at failing to record what would have been only a second win in 19 against the Gypsies certainly spoke volumes for which way the club is looking.
UCD – Quigley; Mahon, McEniff, Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, Hurley (Gannon), Dicker, O’Donnell; Martin (Murphy), McWalter. Subs not used – Gallagher, Doyle, Sammon
Att – c 1500
Originally Posted by Schumi
), Aertel says Damo's back for tomorrow, though the team is likely to be unchanged.
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