UCD win

[kdjaC]

on penos after 0-0

:(

kdjac

[JR_Ewing]

http://fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2640

[pineapple stu]

Not a great game to be honest, but we were the better side by a decent margin and deserved the win overall. Not really much more to add than that.

[John83]

After UCD's second (?) penalty went in, Clarke, the Pats keeper, walked over to one side. As a Pats player prepared to take their penalty, Clarke says to me, "I fancy him to miss this." He did.

Decent game. Reasonably open in the first half, but UCD looked fitter - lot of Pats lads down with cramp towards the end.

[Dodge]

Not a great game to be honest, but we were the better side by a decent margin
Thats a bit harsh on the Pats lads. While you may have been better it wasn't by much, and if anything it was fitness alone IMO

[Schumi]

I thought we were well on top in the second half and in extra time, it was even enough in the first half though. Maybe that was down to better fitness, I don't know.

[JR_Ewing]

there was very little between the 2 teams every time they played all season,except in the cup when pats played a very weakened side. Once pats lost their 7 and 11 that was the end of their attacking game and I think they did well to hold on for penalties (which is what they were trying to do for fitness reasons). UCD deserved the game but I don't think you can dominate a game based on possession alone. Chances are probably a better marker and on the shots count it was probably 50-50 of a very low number altogether....

[Dodge]

I don't think you can dominate a game based on possession alone. Chances are probably a better marker and on the shots count it was probably 50-50 of a very low number altogether....
I was just about to make this point.

Agree with your overall assessment too.

[Sniffer]

I heard Ronan Finn came on for UCD, and made a significant challenge to end a promising Pats move; many other eL seniors playing?

[Roo69]

Thats a bit harsh on the Pats lads. While you may have been better it wasn't by much, and if anything it was fitness alone IMO

Ah in fairness, from a nuterals point of view UCD were the better side, they had more quality in their side and should have won in normal time but for some wasteful finishing and poor decision making. Pats fitness seemed to be terrible, players going down with cramp after 70 minutes... Not a good sign.

1st half was even enough but UCD were well on top in the 2nd half and should have scored on more tha one occasion but as i said for wasteful finishing and poor decision making.

Pats did very well to bring the game as far as penos seeing as a good few players were suffering with cramp. I was very impressed with the Pats no. 12, big lad for U21 level, also one of the centres halves looked very decent, no. 5 i think.

Ronan Finn made a superb blocking challange when a Pats player was just about to let loose, real cotmitment in his challange, was great to see.

Peno's is a 50/50 game really and UCD just held there nerve a little better. Think it was a bad decision from Oso to let the Left full (no.3) to take a peno though, he had been down with cramp 3 or 4 times and was really struggling. Horrible way to loose such an important game but that's footie.

Congrats UCD, Hard luck Pats.

[Schumi]

I heard Ronan Finn came on for UCD, and made a significant challenge to end a promising Pats move; many other eL seniors playing?He did, yeah. He was excellent, really looked a class above the rest.

Paul Byrne up front, Timmy Purcell on the right and Brian King in the middle (and right back later on) played pretty regularly for the first team and most of the rest of the team made a few appearances during the year.

[Dodge]

Ah in fairness, from a nuterals point of view UCD were the better side
No question at all. I just don't think the margin was as big as pineapplestu indicated.


also one of the centres halves looked very decent, no. 5 i think.That would be 18 year old Derek Foran. Signed a two year full time professional contract with the club during the past couple of weeks. IMO he was the best player on show.


Think it was a bad decision from Oso to let the Left full (no.3) to take a peno though, he had been down with cramp 3 or 4 times and was really strugglingbut he's a deadball specialist and obviously fancied it himself. (he scored the goal from 40 yards in the semis)

This is the 3rd game in a row for Pats to go to penalties so it obviously just caught up on them. As I've said they're a very young side with only Clarke in goal and Kevin Cornwall on right wing (No 7) having any LOI experience at all (and even then limited). No doubt UCD deserved to win, and no disgrace for this pats team to lose on penalties.

BTW have you noticed its nearly always the same teams involved in these finals (last year being a strange one); Pats, UCD, Bray, Rovers, Cork

[Roo69]

That would be 18 year old Derek Foran. Signed a two year full time professional contract with the club during the past couple of weeks. IMO he was the best player on show.

BTW have you noticed its nearly always the same teams involved in these finals (last year being a strange one); Pats, UCD, Bray, Rovers, Cork

Foran looks a great prospect...

I watch a lot of U21s football and have seen virtually all clubs over the past 3or 4 years. By far the section that Bray, UCD, Pats and Rovers etc are in is the best. Really high quality and a team if not two from this group is nearly always reach the final. The best side ive seen out side our group was Cork 2 seasons ago, this year i think the tragic death of one of the U21 plsyers had a massive impact on them, Bohs are decent enough as well and Shels had a decent side a couple of seasons ago but seem to have fallen back a little. Derry and Drogheda are getting stronger and will be teams to look out for next season.

This year we had a brand new squad and it was their 1st taste of football at that level so it took them a while to get used to it, but i reckon next season we could be the team to beat if they keep progressing the way they are. Quite a lot of them will only be turing 18 soon enough so they have a few years at this level to make their mark... we have some very talented young players on our books.

[GreenStar]

Bohs are decent enough as well

No. Sorry. Totally disagree here. Saw Bohs on 2 occasions this season and they were pretty much awful, with 1 or 2 exceptions.

[BobtheDrog]

Foran looks a great prospect...

I watch a lot of U21s football and have seen virtually all clubs over the past 3or 4 years. By far the section that Bray, UCD, Pats and Rovers etc are in is the best. Really high quality and a team if not two from this group is nearly always reach the final. The best side ive seen out side our group was Cork 2 seasons ago, this year i think the tragic death of one of the U21 plsyers had a massive impact on them, Bohs are decent enough as well and Shels had a decent side a couple of seasons ago but seem to have fallen back a little. Derry and Drogheda are getting stronger and will be teams to look out for next season.

This year we had a brand new squad and it was their 1st taste of football at that level so it took them a while to get used to it, but i reckon next season we could be the team to beat if they keep progressing the way they are. Quite a lot of them will only be turing 18 soon enough so they have a few years at this level to make their mark... we have some very talented young players on our books.

Isn't this the last year of U21's?

[galwayhoop]

Isn't this the last year of U21's?

being replaced by u20 next season

[BobtheDrog]

Did pats 1/4 final go to peno's aswell?

[Dodge]

Did pats 1/4 final go to peno's aswell?
Yep. Beat shels on penalties, followed by beating Drogs on Penalties, followed by losing to UCD on penalties

[pineapple stu]

No question at all. I just don't think the margin was as big as pineapplestu indicated.
Fair enough. I thought most of the second half and extra time were played in your half, hence my comment. Obviously we didn't take our chances, but that would only have made the gap bigger in my opinion.

Interesting on the same few sides being involved; I think we're in favour of the A League as it should give us more competitive games than we're currently getting now.

[Student Mullet]

Neither side did much up front. Most of the chances came from defenders slipping in the wet grass.

[Dodge]

Obviously we didn't take our chances, but that would only have made the gap bigger in my opinion.

If you took your one chance, you would've created a gap...