UCD 0-0 Shamrock Rovers

[pineapple stu]

Another frustrating performance in Belfield Park on Friday night saw UCD's winless streak extend to five games - with no goals in the last three - as they failed to take the three points from a Shamrock Rovers side who were probably the poorest side to visit this season (allowing for the fact that we've played Harps, Bray and Longford away). Overall, UCD were the better side, though Rovers came much more into the game in the second half and both sides had late chances to win.

There was one change from the game in Longford - Stephen Hurley came in at right mid, replacing Damien Dupuy with Pat McWalter moved up front. However, not ten minutes into the game, UCD were forced into a reshuffle as Aidan Lynch came off injured, to be replaced by Brian Shortall, with Conor Kenna moving out to right mid. Any worries that this would be exploited by Pat McCourt were assuaged when Rovers' top scorer was himself withdrawn in the first half, replaced by Mooney.

UCD started brightly, and Robbie Martin in particular was a threat down the left wing. A couple of decent crosses were all that resulted however, with no-one in the penalty area to follow up. The best chance saw Pat McWalter stretching but just failing to make contact with a cross put in across the six yard box. However, UCD failed to take advantage of the start and neither side really created a chance of note in the first half.

Rovers posed more of a threat in the second half, but Darren Quigley in the UCD goal was scarcely troubled throughout the match. His opposite number had a busier time of it, though he too was scarcely stretched. Substitute Damien Dupuy looked most likely to cut open the Rovers defence, twice playing through Pat McWalter - once, the Rovers keeper had to be smartly off his line to collect at McWalter's feet, and once McWalter's lob drifted just the wrong side of the post.

Apart from these occasional chances, however, the game was drifting to a draw from a good way out. Defeat would have been disastrous, but the draw does still leave College - slow starters traditionally - seven points clear of Rovers. However, with six goals from 11 games, there's a real need to start putting away chances - or, as in the last two games, creating chances - to get up to mid-table safety.

UCD - Quigley; Lynch (Shortall 8), O'Donnell, Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, Hurley, Dicker, Martin; McWalter (Adrian Murphy 75), Byrne (Dupuy 60). Subs not used - Doyle, Gallagher.

Att - c 1100

[pineapple stu]

Thread on the Rovers forum (http://www.aimoo.com/forum/postview.cfm?id=606830&CategoryID=362984&startcat=1&ThreadID=2074943) about the match.

[Poor Student]

The Rovers fans were disappointing. They were in good voice at Richmond the other week ago but this week they got a chant going maybe three times. Before anyone says, they were equally as dull on the field that day but today they were even quieter off the pitch than than the Bohs fans the other week.

We should have beaten them. They barely threatened us. We had the better of the play but didn't make use of it. We never properly made their keeper work. We're missing Anto Murphy. Hurley down the wing offered nothing. Perhaps he nullified Rutherford's threat but as an attacking force we were blunt. Defensively we put in a solid performance though.

We've conceded less goals than half the league but scored only more than Harps. The draws en masse are no use as the two points missed culminate. If we could string even a couple of wins together we'd clim the table and gain some confidence. I hope we do so before the gap starts to really form between us and the mid table.

[CollegeTillIDie]

6 goals scored in 11 games... FACT!

Well seeing as we ought to change our name to "Couldn't score in a red light district with a fistful of €50 notes FC " I think clean sheets are vital if we are going to collect any League points don't you?

270 minutes goalless and counting

[Poor Student]

It is great to keep a clean sheet though it is only our 4th of the season. Only in the Pats game have we scored more than one goal this season. Yet only in the Drogs and Pats games have we conceded more than one. It's looking like we're only going to win games we keep a clean sheet in as we don't have the firepower to overturn a deficit. Shels are vunerable at the moment coming off two defeats. Linfield proved if you go right at Shels you have the best chance. I think we should take a positive approach to the game against them.

CTID who was the person you introduced Colie and I too? Also thanks for getting the old Drogs programme for me.

[CollegeTillIDie]

It is great to keep a clean sheet though it is only our 4th of the season. Only in the Pats game have we scored more than one goal this season. Yet only in the Drogs and Pats games have we conceded more than one. It's looking like we're only going to win games we keep a clean sheet in as we don't have the firepower to overturn a deficit. Shels are vunerable at the moment coming off two defeats. Linfield proved if you go right at Shels you have the best chance. I think we should take a positive approach to the game against them.

CTID who was the person you introduced Colie and I too? Also thanks for getting the old Drogs programme for me.

It was the cover star from the current edition of STIG trying to remember his Foot.ie handle.

[Colie]

Yeah, a bit dissapointing but at least for the first home game this season College had more supporters singing than the visiting team!!

[Poor Student]

We are on the up Colie, we are outsinging the opposition and we have better gates than Longford. :D

[De Town]

We are on the up Colie, we are outsinging the opposition and we have better gates than Longford. :D
That was just a one off. the problem was the quality of opponents :rolleyes: ;)

[Schumi]

Rubbish game, easily the most boring of the season so far. We really lack any sort of creativity going forward. Our 'wingers' got very few decent crosses in and we're really missing some spark in the middle (i.e. Sean Finn). I thought the strikers did OK with what they got but the overall play was much too slow to give Rovers' defence any real problems.


It was the cover star from the current edition of STIG trying to remember his Foot.ie handle.That'd be Bald Student

That was just a one off. the problem was the quality of opponents the quality of the home side more likely.

[De Town]

Rubbish game, easily the most boring of the season so far.
Even worse than last week :eek:

the quality of the home side more likely
eh who won??

and how many points are we ahead of ye??

[Schumi]

Even worse than last week :eek: I was more drunk last week so I was less bored. :D Maybe 'easily' was going too far though.


eh who won??And a high quality goal it was too, forged from some inventive, incisive attacking play with unparalleled skill and ball control on display; an early contender for goal of the season, no wait, goal of the century.

[De Town]

And a high quality goal it was too, forged from some inventive, incisive attacking play with unparalleled skill and ball control on display; an early contender for goal of the season, no wait, goal of the century.
Who cares what the goal was like, we scored, ye didnt, we won, end of.

Dont tell me UCD have never scored a goal by going route 1 :confused: ;)

[Poor Student]

And a high quality goal it was too, forged from some inventive, incisive attacking play with unparalleled skill and ball control on display; an early contender for goal of the season, no wait, goal of the century.

Now that is sarcasm. :D :D

I expected Bald Student to be balder somehow. :p

Come to think of it we have had 3 0-0 draws this season. But as Colie was saying to me we do still play some of the better football in this league. One thing we always do is keep it on the deck. I think once the injuries clear up things will come good for us. No one has hammered us and we are hard to beat.

[Poor Student]

Who cares what the goal was like, we scored, ye didnt, we won, end of.

Dont tell me UCD have never scored a goal by going route 1 :confused: ;)

I don't think any of our goals this season have been Route 1 to be honest.

[De Town]

I don't think any of our goals this season have been Route 1 to be honest.
ye havent scored enough yet anyway. AFAIK, last week was our first route 1 goal of the season. Every team does it.

Schumi, I didnt see either team creating a brilliant passing move last week that cut either defence apart. Both teams were crap, UCD's defence made 1 mistake, we took the chance and it was game over.

[Poor Student]

ye havent scored enough yet anyway. AFAIK, last week was our first route 1 goal of the season. Every team does it.

Schumi, I didnt see either team creating a brilliant passing move last week that cut either defence apart. Both teams were crap, UCD's defence made 1 mistake, we took the chance and it was game over.

From reading your forum I thought Matthews is fond of the auld Route 1. It seemed to be the complaint of some.

[Schumi]

Schumi, I didnt see either team creating a brilliant passing move last week that cut either defence apart. Both teams were crap, UCD's defence made 1 mistake, we took the chance and it was game over.
I'm not disputing that at all, we were crap, you were crap. It would have been a boring 0-0 draw without the awful mistake that gave you your goal, instead it was a boring 1-0 win for you guys.

I don't think we've scored a goal from route one this season. Most been from crosses I think (not that there've been many!).

[Poor Student]

I don't think we've scored a goal from route one this season. Most been from crosses I think (not that there've been many!).

3 from set pieces (the 2 v Pats, and I think Dupuy v Shels was a headed corner?) and 3 well taken finishes by Martin v Derry, Waterford and Bohs.

[De Town]

From reading your forum I thought Matthews is fond of the auld Route 1. It seemed to be the complaint of some.
Yeah, but we very rarely score ;)

[pineapple stu]

eh who won??

and how many points are we ahead of ye??
I think from dropping in on the Town forum over the season, Longford fas' complaints seem to be about everything - forwards, midfield, defenders, style of play, etc., etc. while we're just p!ssed off that we can't score. Which maens your team has more wrong than ours, which means that league table is (hopefully!) going to be changing shortly! :)

[De Town]

I think from dropping in on the Town forum over the season, Longford fas' complaints seem to be about everything - forwards, midfield, defenders, style of play, etc., etc.
Longford fans are just a moany bunch ;)

while we're just p!ssed off that we can't score.
Join the club

Which maens your team has more wrong than ours
Obviously not if we are ahead of ye in the table

which means that league table is (hopefully!) going to be changing shortly!
Doubt it :)

[Student Mullet]

easily the most boring of the season so farI don't think so, at least the ball was kept down and played on the ground. I'll nominate the Harps game as the worst because of the ammount of bad play, followed by Longford in a close second.

[Student Mullet]

I expected Bald Student to be balder somehow.I know, the traitor. At least I still have a Mullet.

[CollegeTillIDie]

De TOWN

Having possibly the most fickle fans in the EL is nothing to be proud of