Derry City 3-0 UCD

[John83]

Seems we were doing reasonably well until Alan Mahon headbutted someone for no obvious reason and got sent off.

Good luck to Derry in the final.

[pineapple stu]

Well, by "reasonably well", we were holding on. Derry had a couple of early chances, but then didn't really test Gregg for the rest of the half, while we had a couple of openings but ballooned them.

Second half, we started brighter, but *@#!ing Martyn scored AGAIN against us with a dipping shot which looked (from the far end of the ground) like Gregg should have saved. Brennan then said something to Alan Mahon, who butted him - utterly stupid, and you could see he was going to do it too, but Brennan dived like he'd been shot to make sure Mahon was sent off. Disgraceful from both of them really. Derry scored again two minutes later from a free header, and we stopped caring. Shane Fitz turned up at right back, left mid, right mid and up front within about three minutes, such was the lack of any real formation. Not that it made much difference. We went 3-4-2 (I think) and McCourt rounded it off with a good individual effort.

Ian Bermingham had another solid game, and Tony was good at centre half - back to one of his better performances. Apart from that, one to write off really. Although a Derry fan commented on how good Conor Sammon was at the end. Even Ana's getting confused now!

[DmanDmythDledge]

Sammo will be the next Andy Keogh if he can learn to head the ball, although not quite as good. If he learns to head he will make it in the Championship.

Alan Mahon should have had more sense than that. At least one of the games he'll miss is Waterford.

[John83]

...a Derry fan commented on how good Conor Sammon was at the end...
They were praising him on Censorship My Ass all night.

[Angus]

Our side, as with last Friday, is a very young side, partically and under 21 team (Tony and Alan M excepted).

The guys have shown huge promise and some super play this year but with 4 difficult games to come, this is now a grind to avoid getting sucked into the relegation battle.

It is a time for cool heads and a time to play the football we know we can play - we can play our way out of this with a solid defence (Allie Mac a huge loss over the last few weeks) creative mid field play (Shane, Finn a huge loss but Kinger looking the part) and a bit of steel up front.

The manager will be key - needs to set the right tone and get the boys playing with confidence again.

[John83]

Finn was injured? I missed that.

[Angus]

I meant against Rovers the last day - he has been one of our better players and we miss him when he is not playing

[brandy86]

Here are the goals from last night's game if yis are interested

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=0EU3lR4oaBE

[superfrank]

Martyn scored AGAIN against us with a dipping shot which looked (from the far end of the ground) like Gregg should have saved.
Looking at those goals, it'd seem Gregg was at fault for the second and third. Header straight at him and beaten at near post with a tight-angled shot..

[DmanDmythDledge]

I thought Gregg should have saved all of those.

[Schumi]

Looks like it alright. After the first goal and the red it was game over though. Really stupid from Mahon, he's been around long enough to know better than to react like that.

[mcglinchey]

gregg had a nighmare of a game,those 3 goals should have been bread and butter for him. I wonder what brennan said to alan mahon to enrage him like that,hes not that sort of player atall. and lads im sorry to say i told ye so but our back 4 are a shambles without mcnally at the centre of it. people have raved about kenna all season and left mcnally out of the spotlight so to speak,but in the games against rovers and derry,kenna hasnt been the player he is beside mcnally.7 goals conceded in 2 games says it all.we need him back A.S.A.P.

[DmanDmythDledge]

mcglinchey I agree with what you're saying but why do you only come on here to give out?

[mcglinchey]

well could you take any positives from the last 2 games dman?its not as if i enjoy seeing our team loosing!

[Schumi]

McNally has obviously been a huge loss but I thought we defended quite well last night in the first half despite being under a lot of pressure. Bermingham had McCourt under control most of the time but needed more help from Doyle when their right back pushed up. Mahon wasn't great but seemed to be holding on. With all the possession that Derry had, they were bound to get some chances but we seemed to be just about OK.

I couldn't really see the defending in the second half too well as we were down in the far corner but once the first goal went in we were in trouble and then with 10 men we were ****ed altogether.

[DmanDmythDledge]

well could you take any positives from the last 2 games dman?its not as if i enjoy seeing our team loosing!
Wasn't at the last two games but I could from games before that!

[mcglinchey]

Wasn't at the last two games but I could from games before that!


yes and so could i,i thought we just didnt play aginst rovers,and as for derry,less said bout that the better,i agree with you,im on here complaining an awful lot,but what frustrates me the most is that we have the players there to get the ball down and play with it and do damage to teams but we havent been doing it the last few weeks.

[pineapple stu]

Wasn't at the last two games but I could from games before that!
The last two games were as bad as I've seen us all season. Last night we hardly had any ideas at all.

We've now conceded ten goals in four games - since Alan Mahon's injury before the Galway game. Badly need our regular back four back. Scored six goals in that time, so if we can get the defence back, we should be able to chalk up a few more wins and leave us safe for another year.

[Poor Student]

Pete made some crucial selection errors last night. First one was Matt Gregg over Darren Quigley. The highlights speak for themselves. Second was picking Fitzgerald over Conan Byrne. For the main Fitz gave us nothing. He doesn't have it in him to take the ball and beat a man without it being knocked into an acre of space and him using his blistering pace. Every time the ball went out right we were under pressure. He not only struggled to beat his man but also struggled to work the ball backwards to safety putting Alan Mahon under big pressure. With Doyle on the other side that nullified our threat from out wide. Any ball played to Conan sticks to him like glue and he can work the ball with only inches of space, he'd have made a big difference last night. More furstratingly Pete perservered with Fitz right until the end and only brought Conan on towards injury time.

I won't comment on the Mahon sending off as I didn't see it but Derry were the better of the two sides up to that point and had already taken the lead, the sending off was the final nail in the coffin though. We weren't awful at any point and we still payed decent at times after the sending off but with one man down we were exposed and opened up. Sammon put in a good shift up front. Held the ball up a fair few times, played to his strengths. Thought Bermingham had a solid game too against McCourt. That said McCourt still dictated a lot of the game and pulled groups of ourn players with him at a time. Disappointing to go down like that and I'm not confident about the cup game up there either.

[mcglinchey]

lads i think its always gonna be a catch 22 with conan and fitzey....if 1 plays were gonna come on and say the other should have played if things dont go our way..personally.last night i would have went with fitzey,he is a great outlet to have against teams like that,if were under pressure we can put it over the full backs head and he'l box him in and chase him down...perhaps maybe starting with conan and then introducing him if things arent going to plan,but it really is a catch 22...

[Student Mullet]

perhaps maybe starting with conan and then introducing him if things arent going to plan,but it really is a catch 22...I'm sure Pete knows these things better than me but that's what I think. Bring Fitzy on against tired full back.

[pineapple stu]

By way of a report...


UCD crashed out of the League Cup after a second half collapse in the Brandywell on Tuesday evening. Although largely on the defensive in the first half, a battling performance had seen the teams go in scoreless at half time, before a moment of inspiration from Ciarán Martyn and a moment of madness from Alan Mahon settled the tie shortly before the hour.

Pete Mahon chose the game to give Matt Gregg another run in goals, while also giving Tony McDonnell a first start since picking up a head injury against Pat's last month. Alan Mahon was also back from injury, and the returning duo restored some much needed solidity to the defence after shipping four against Shamrock Rovers last Friday.

Derry started strongly, and went close early on with a drive from the edge of the box which went inches wide of Gregg's right hand post. However, the Students' defence was back to its more traditional well organised shape, and Derry were mainly restricted to long range attempts. Pat McCourt was being shadowed very effectively by Ian Bermingham, and on the one occasion he did get free inside the box, his low cross from the by line was palmed out by Gregg and cleared.

UCD threatened occasionally, particularly when Conor Sammon laid the ball off to Shane Fitzgerald on the right hand side of the D, but the winger rushed his shot and ballooned over. Two dangerous free kicks to Derry on the edge of the UCD area were poorly taken, with Gregg not being forced to work.

The Students were quicker out of the block in the second half, with Derek Doyle and Conor Sammon finding space to run at, but ultimately Derry's defence was able to get back and snuff out the danger.

On 53 minutes, Ciarán Martyn opened the scoring with yet another goal against his former club, this time firing a shot from 20 yards over Gregg, although the former Crystal Palace keeper perhaps ought to have done better.

The game was settled in two minutes shortly after the hour mark. First, an apparent exchange of words between full backs Alan Mahon and Killian Brennan after the UCD man conceded a foul resulted in Mahon remarkably head butting his opponent, who shamelessly fell to the ground to emphasise the indicent. There was no real force in Mahon's actions, but the red card was instant and undisputable. Brennan picked himself up immediately.

Two minutes after, a cross from the right was headed in by Kevin McHugh, although again Gregg's keeping was suspect as the header was straight at him, and bounced off him en route to the back of the net.

With the game evidently out of reach, UCD embarked on a curious phase of Total Football, with Shane Fitzgerald showing up at right back, left mid, right mid and up front within a matter of minutes, and this carefree approach caused Derry problems for a few minutes. However, they weathered the storm and gradually turned the screw on the visitors so that by the end, little resistence or attacking threat was being offered. A third goal was pretty much inevitable, and Pat McCourt provided it with a fine run past a static UCD defence before beating Gregg at his near post.

A demoralising defeat, then, and one which doesn't bode well for repeat trips north in the FAI Cup in September and the league in October. With Alan Mahon now facing a three match ban, more juggling will be required in a defence which has now shipped ten goals in fuor games since losing Alan Mahon and Alan McNally to injury.

UCD - Gregg; Mahon, Kenna, McDonnell, Bermingham; Fitzgerald, King (McWalter 58), McFaul, Finn (C Byrne 87), Sammon, Doyle (Crowley 87).

[pineapple stu]

Also, Tony was wearing the number 5 jersey, bizarrely.

[Poor Student]

lads i think its always gonna be a catch 22 with conan and fitzey....if 1 plays were gonna come on and say the other should have played if things dont go our way..personally.last night i would have went with fitzey,he is a great outlet to have against teams like that,if were under pressure we can put it over the full backs head and he'l box him in and chase him down...perhaps maybe starting with conan and then introducing him if things arent going to plan,but it really is a catch 22...

I think Conan should start every time, I don't think he's had a poor game at right wing this season. He can receive a ball to feet, work past a man with no space and put in a cross. I think Fitz being on the field encourages the team to dump the ball into ridiculous places by overestimating his pace and I know that sounds crazy. I don't want to slate Fitz, he does provide some interesting options and like others I agree he'd make a supersub but it's annoying to see a better play on the bench.

[pineapple stu]

Fitz has done OK in fairness - against the lower teams, he's really troubled them, and even in the last few games when he's been kept quieter, he's chipped in with two goals. I think it's a tough choice between the two (wish we had that competition at right back), but I'd agree with going for Conan 'cos Fitz hasn't been able to influence games as much as Conan can.

But harsh on him, but no harsher than dropping Conan in the first place.

[Gargamel]

mahon out

[Angus]

Alan or Pete ?

[Gargamel]

I'd settle for Pete.
i know Alan was silly against Derry but for the most part i like him as a player