League Cup second round v Pats

[Angus]

Great win and decent performance.

Man of the match by a mile was Conor Kenna - Bogdan decent - McFaul good - Tony Mc nice solid performance - Sammo struggled but signs of quality.

Very impressed by how quicly we get the 2 banks of 4 back in line when we lose the ball. We are becomign hard to break down (Longford notwithstanding)

[Poor Student]

To be fair we were hard to break down last season (Shels opening us up 6-0 excepted) but I do agree with you. Sammon gave his all, did show some decent signs and took a great peno, but again mistiming leaps and losing headers. I'm delighted to overcome the league leaders with a strong side out but Pat's didn't really look too hungry for most of it. Another cup quarter final for UCD under Mahon, our unbeatable hurdle more often than not.

[Hibs4Ever]

Saints players didnt seem interested at all.


Brendan Clarke could've spent the match in the stand with us. UCD played every man behind the ball after the penalty, 10 man defences are always hard break down ;)

[Poor Student]

Saints players didnt seem interested at all.


Brendan Clarke could've spent the match in the stand with us. UCD played every man behind the ball after the penalty, 10 man defences are always hard break down ;)

Meh. You're the best team in the country and it was an away cup game. We didn't go hell for leather after the goal but we still played when we could. With players like Fahey and Ndo to supply the likes of O'Neill you more than have the talent to open a team up, the onus is on you to do so.

[Dodge]

We had a few half chances and should've definitely scored in the second (the chance cleared off the line and Foley being inches away from heading into an empty net)

Nothing wrong with UCD's tactics. Thought Sammon played well for you

[Poor Student]

Thought Sammon played well for you

We'll trade him for O'Neill then.;)

[CollegeTillIDie]

Angus

I think Longford found us easy to break down cause almost half their team used to play for us :D

[pineapple stu]

Nothing wrong with UCD's tactics. Thought Sammon played well for you
Thought Sammon was his usual frustrating self again - seems to lose the ball far too often. Not sure why so many other fans see so much in him. Paul Byrne is far better, in my opinion.

Decent enough game; Pat's were more adngerous when they tried, but we countered well enough. Don't know how yer man stayed on the pitch after the penalty though - blatant red card, I thought. Stupid penalty too, 'cos Sammon was never going to score that given his record. ;)

Anyways, it's only the League Cup.

[pineapple stu]

By way of a report -



An early Conor Sammon strike was enough for UCD to create a minor shock in knocking out league leaders St Pat's from the League Cup in Richmond Park tonight. Pat's had plenty of possession, particularly in the second half, but couldn't find a way past a typically resolute UCD defence, and the Students often threatened to seal the game on the counter.

Both sides put out strong line-ups, making only a handful of changes each from the previous week's team. For UCD, Darren Quigley, Evan McMillan, Tony McDonnell, Greg Bolger and Bogdan were brought into the line-up, certainly a change in the tradition in recent years of fielding an entirely different XI.

UCD could have been ahead as early as the fifth minute, when a cross was only half cleared out as far as Romanian winger Bogdan, but his drive from 20 yards rifled just wide of Brendan Clarke's near post. But the Students didn't have to wait long to take the lead, with Greg Bolger playing a great ball through the Pat's defence for Sammon to run on to, and he brought the ball forward into the Pat's box before being unceremoniously bundled over by Colm Foley. Curiously, there was no card - not even a yellow - for what appeared a professional foul from Foley, but Sammon didn't complain as he dusted himself down and slotted the penalty home into the bottom right corner.

Pat's came back, with Mark Quigley causing most threats for the Students. Two minutes after the goal, he was allowed space to turn in the box, but his shot was somehow blocked away on the six yard line. Just a couple of minutes later, however, it was UCD who should have extended their lead after a superb move. Ian Bermingham switched play with a crossfield ball onto debutante Shane Fitzgerald's boot, and he turned his man before playing the ball across the box to Bogdan, who went past one player before placing his shot agonisingly wide.

Pat's had the better chances in the remainder of the half - Mark Quigley had another shot blocked six yards from goal, Keith Fahy went past two UCD defenders but his shot from 25 yards was just wide, while Quigley tried to lob his namesake in the UCD goal without success. The largely quiet Joey Ndo did show touches of brilliance, notably when flicking the ball over Tony McDonnell and running 30 yards to the edge of the UCD area before being stopped by a superb tackle from Ian Bermingham.

Three minutes into the second half, Pat's had their best chance to equalise, when Darren Quigley misjudged a ball into the box, and was beaten by Fahy, who knocked the ball past Quigley, but somehow he could only hit the side net with the goal gaping.

After that, Pat's were limited to a couple of long range efforts from Quigley and one or two last ditch scrambles just in front of the UCD line. With a few minutes to go, a UCD counter attack found Conor Sammon in the box, but his shot on the turn was excellently turned away by Brendan Clarke.

That was to prove the last chance of the game as UCD held on for only their third win in Richmond - two of which have been in the League Cup - but they now await the outcome of the Quarter-Final draw confident that, now seven games unbeaten and with away wins in Derry and Inchicore, they can be a match for any team left in the tournament.

UCD - Quigley, Mahon, McMillan, Kenna, Bermingham, Fitzgerald (Kelly 77), McDonnell, McFaul (McNally 83), Bolger, Oprea (Purcell 59), Sammon.