QuoteBest team of the season brings biggest visiting crowd to Belfield, giving us our best gate. Seems about time that was the scenario
Shelbourne came away from Belfield Park with a deserved three points on a night when their effort off the ball was more impressive than their effort on the ball. Although the visitors were limited to just three efforts on goal, they stifled the Students' play enough to certainly warrant all three points in a generally quiet game.
Pete Mahon made two changes from the team which was unlucky not to grab a point in Drogheda - Conan Byrne came in for Pat Kavanagh and Derek Doyle replaced Darragh Ryan. And UCD's cause wasn't helped when they gifted Shels an opener on the quarter hour; just as in the away game, Alan McNally gave away the ball on the edge of the area, where Jason Byrne was lurking. He squared to Stuart Byrne, with Darren Quigley getting a touch, but Stuart Byrne was able to receive the ball and tap hom into an empty net from two yards out.
The remainder of the half was fairly tight, and it wasn't until the first minute of the second half that major action occurred again, when Steve Williams had to be down very sharp at his near post to keep out Conan Byrne's cross; even then, the keeper looked suspiciously as if he had carried Byrne's cross over the line.
The result, however, was put beyond doubt with a second Shels goal on 52 minutes, when Richie Baker was allowed to rise unchallenged to head home a corner.
The game took a slightly nasty turn when a ten-man altercation developed on thehalf-way line after a late tackle; one player from either side was ultimately booked - Paul Crowley being the home player into the ref's notebook.
With the introduction of Kieran Harte and Paul Byrne - and the probable relaxation of the visitors, UCD finally started to get a foothold on the game, although it was the visitors who should have made it 3-0. A mis-kick from Darragh Ryan was collected by Darren Quigley, only for the referee to award a free in for a back-pass. Jason Byrne planted the ball three yards out from goal and squared to Glen Crowe, whose shot cleared not only the bar, but also the wall and the Glenomena residences beyond. In fact, the ball ultimately landed on the flat roof of the laundrette, and was given up as irretrievable.
However, UCD created some excellent chances as the game went on. Conor Sammon picked the ball up on he edge of the area and ghosted past two Shels defenders before scuffing his shot, while a minute later, some excellent play saw Derek Doyle play through Paul Crowley, but his shot from six yards from a narrow angle hit the side netting, although the ref saw fit to award a corner for a save no-one else in the ground had seen.
However, Shels comfortably held on to their lead to win a game when they weren't at their best with the ball, but harried their hosts to great effect. The Students will look to next week's trip to Dalymount Park as a more important game, with the winners staking a huge claim on seventh spot with only two games remaining.
UCD - Quigley; Kenna, K Doyle (Ryan 44), McNally, McDonnell; Crowley, C Byrne (P Byrne 70), Dicker (Harte 65), D Doyle; Finn, Sammon
Att - 1250
Best team of the season brings biggest visiting crowd to Belfield, giving us our best gate. Seems about time that was the scenario
It's very hard to compete with Shels. As you said, very good off the ball. Very fit and strong and close you down in midfield and squeeze you out at the back. Towards the end we seemed to be running through them a lot, but that's no use when you're two goals down. We really should have taken one of those chances though. First goal was woeful, must have been the 4th time in the game we handed the ball straight to Shels. I think the decision to award a freekick for a "backpass" was bad. It looked like a looping curling botched clearance. Had Shels been patient they probably would have scored.
That decision was probably one of two bad calls by the ref. The mini brawl should have seen 1 or 2 reds dished out.
Pretty boring game. Shels didn't try too hard as they didn't have to. Finn hasn't being doing much lately- another quiet performance.
I think end of season apathy is setting in, particularly due to not knowing what the hell is going on with next season.Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
Finn is very young and still inexperienced. I think he had a pretty industrious game. It's going to be hard to compete against a midfield and defence as solid and strong as Shels. It's also hard to play off a lone striker. I'm certain he'll be our best player next season.Finn hasn't being doing much lately- another quiet performance.
I agree with everything you say but I think it would do him good to sit out the next game or two. I think Pete should do something similar to what David Moyes did with Rooney at Everton.
Emmet Malone singled him out for praise in his article in the Irish Times today.
Bit pedantic, I know, but I thought it was Ryan who squared for Jason Byrne to score the opener. Perhaps I'm wrong?
Agree the "back pass" decision was laughable - justice was served by Glenn Crowe's appalling miss.
At least College tried to play football against us, which is to their credit. Other teams like the Kings of Europe just try and stifle us to death.
Great fanzine as usual, btw.
No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones
In 1977
Well thanks for the acknowledgement that UCD try to play football even when we are being defensive. Glad you like the Zine. It's now the longest lasting one in League of Ireland history.
I don't know. It looked to me as though he hit it that direction on purpose, though I've no idea why he'd want to. It worked out well though, I'm glad we weren't denied the funniest miss in Belfield that I can remember.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
You may be right; I was too busy cursing various players to take exact note of the plethora of Shels players who were suddenly through on goal.
No it's not. Shels' is!!
It was Ryan alright. Saw it on eL Weekly last night. Odd that, them showing us play just a couple of weeks after Pete's article.
You can't spell failure without FAI
They were showing Shels, not us.It was Ryan alright. Saw it on eL Weekly last night. Odd that, them showing us play just a couple of weeks after Pete's article.
What's it called and how many editions have they put out then?
P.S. And it was YOU who told me STIG had produced more issues than any other EL fanzines for the record!
It has. It has a higher issuing frequency but has not been around as long.
Other way around. It's about a year older than us, but with about ten fewer issues.
Methinks I'll have to explain to CTID the difference between "longest lasting" and "produced more issues", as his posts indicate he thinks they're synonymous!
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