vs Bray

[DmanDmythDledge]

Last week's performance was a dissapointment after playing so well in Derry but we got the win, which is all important after been on such a high. We now have a chance to put some real distance between ourselves and Bray, Galway and Longford. If we play our best we will win- simple as that but it won't be easy. Hopefully Paul Byrne and McNally will play some part in this. McNally passed a fitness test last week but was still left off the bench.

[pineapple stu]

Bray on a high after a 3-0 win against most of Rovers. Still, they've got an awful away record and we've players coming back. Going to say a similar score and occasion to last Friday - scrape a 2-1 win.

[Colie]

Football training on Friday nights under lights! My club has forsaken the eircom league. Gutted. Think we'll win maybe 1 or 2 nil. Tuesday was a fluke.

[CollegeTillIDie]

No Colie, not a fluke. A team usually wins the next game after a major tragedy affecting it. We beat Rovers 3-0 the week of the Doc's funeral back in 1999.

[DmanDmythDledge]

No Colie, not a fluke. A team usually wins the next game after a major tragedy affecting it. We beat Rovers 3-0 the week of the Doc's funeral back in 1999.
I think it might have had more to do with Rovers going down to nine men.

[pineapple stu]

Conor Sammon rescued a point for UCD late on as the Students pretty much ensured safety for another year in a tame end of season encounter. Irish underage international Emeke Onwubiko had threatened to earn the points for Bray, six years and a day since tehy had last taken all three league points from Belfield.

With UCD's injury list happily shortening by the week, Tony McDonnell, Ian Bermingham and Paul Byrne returned to the starting line up after varying lengths of time on the sidelines, while Alan McNally was fit enough for a place on the bench.

A very scrappy game took a long time to settle into any sort of pattern, and it wasn't until the half hour that the first real chance arrived - a Tony McDonnell flick on was collected by Conan Byrne, who burst into the box but saw his shot tipped away by the Bray keeper.

Five minutes before the break, former Student Pat Kavanagh went on one of his trademark surging runs into the box, but he was stopped by a quite superb tackle by Alan Mahon. And as the first half entered injury time, Conan Byrne again tested the Bray netminder with a curling shot from the edge of the area which Steve Williams did well to get to and hold.

Shortly into the second half, Bray took the lead - Kavanagh again the instigator, as his pass found Onwubiko in acres of space 20 yards out, and he advanced and calmly slotted past Quigley. And the Ireland B keeper had to be at his best just two minutes later when turning a rasping volley from 25 yards around the post as Bray suddenly threatened to cut loose.

However, the Students fought back - Paul Byrne setting Conan away down the right, and his low cross was blasted over the bar from short range by Conor Sammon, albeit under intense perssure from his marker. But the Students did equalise with a quarter of an hour remaining - Ian Bermingham, pushed up onto the wing, laid off to Killian gallagher; his cross was behind the UCD attackers, but Peter Hynes reacted quickest with a deft backheel flick, and Sammon was on hand to ram home the loose ball from close range.

UCD continued to press, and in injury time, Hynes headed narrowly wide after Alan Mahon swung a free kick in from the right wing. A late goal would have been harsh on Bray in a game neither side really deserved to win, but UCD will be happy to at least keep the points ticking over while keeping an eye on the upcoming FAI Cup semi final.

UCD - Quigley; Mahon, Bermingham, McDonnell, Kenna; McFaul, Finn, C Byrne, McWalter (Gallagher 67); P Byrne (Hynes 67), Sammon. Subs not used - Gregg, McNally, Purcell

Att - 421


Edit - actually, was it King or Purcell who was on the bench?

[DmanDmythDledge]

Edit - actually, was it King or Purcell who was on the bench?
Think it was Purcell, not 100%.

EDIT: King was wearing no.12, so says the Bray site.

[feo123]

has gallagher been injured lately lads?

Ps, apologies on my behalf on the edited part, which i have now deleted....won't happen again sorry lads if it annoyed anyone :o

[pineapple stu]

feo, you've been warned about stupid trolling in the UCD forum numerous times before. If it happens once more, you'll be banned. Cop on.

[U-C-D]

king was on the bench

[CollegeTillIDie]

Paul Crowley is out for the rest of the season according to the preview of the Cork game on RTE.ie the other injury worries seem to be healing.