Greedy Derry continue sick obsession with League Cup

[Colie]

IThink you're a bit harsh on Mahon though. He went 3-4-3 for the last while and certainly pushed on a bit. We were hit with injuries to Robbie, Kenna and Allie Mac.

Was Kenna defo not fully fit? Paj was doing better than Gary who he looked wrecked tired which Mahon must have missed. I think he made the wrong subs, but the whole thing had gone to pieces for us at that stage anyway.

[MariborKev]

Denis Bradley was watching the Derry City game as he is a season ticket holder at the Brandywell

[pineapple stu]

Was Kenna defo not fully fit?

Some of the previews I read during the day said he was fit enough to play some part, which he did. I assume that implied he wasn't fit to play 90 minutes. You may have a point on the subs. Still, win some, lose some.

[lefty]

Deadly match, dont remember to much of what happened on the pitch during the match but that was the best craic ive had at a match in years and the worst hang over in years followed this morning

[CollegeTillIDie]

I f***in hate the League Cup doubt we will ever win it now. 20 years of abject failure followed by 5 years of flattering to deceive

[GK for the Town]

a few of my mates tried to get up on the hill behind the subs benches to get a decent view of the game but were told to get down. Anyone know the reason ?

[Schumi]

a few of my mates tried to get up on the hill behind the subs benches to get a decent view of the game but were told to get down. Anyone know the reason ?

Health and safety I assume. I was sure I saw people up there though.

[pineapple stu]

Technically, you're not allowed on the hill for Health and Safety reasons. Didn't stop the couple of hundred who were on it throughout the match though.

Incidentally (and the final word on David Forde [SIZE=1]until he crops up again[/SIZE]) I watched some of the video last night and, while Clive's header was weak, when Byrne shot, Forde was actually turned the other way and running back into position! Cardinal sin for a goalkeeper, and his footwork was woeful as well to be turned and running back into position (instead of sidestepping). I see the Examiner singled him out as being very hesitant throughout as well.

[Schumi]

the final word on David Forde

You better believe it. I'm splitting any more posts on that subject.

[pineapple stu]

Oooh, our very own David Forde thread!

[Schumi]

I didn't say I was splitting it into this forum!

[pineapple stu]

You mean the David Forde stuff would go to rubbish?

How apt!

[pineapple stu]

Got around to watching the video there tonight. Amazing how different a match can look on telly compared to when you're in the stands engrossed!

It was a poor first half, but the second half picked up a lot. We only misplaced every fourth pass rather than every other pass. Dicker had a very poor game in centre-mid - lost possession a lot and seemed disinterested at times when tracking back. Musn't be the finished article yet.

Setanta's commentary was a bit patronising at times. Apart from not doing their homework (I know, I know!) properly - Brian Gannon our top scorer with three?! - their reaction to our equaliser ("What a fantastic moment for UCD and their fans! They're back in the game!!") was in the tone of S****horpe taking the lead at Chelsea in the FA Cup: really small but plucky team incredibly gets back into match they have no chance at all of winning sort of thing.

Anyway, ranting over. Have updated the website with a new report, so may as well put that here as well...



Derry City sealed a deserevd - and record - sixth League Cup with a 2-1 victory over UCD in from of a crowd of 2150 at a packed Belfield Park tonight. In reality, given the visitors' possession, the result flattered UCD, although in the end, it needed an own goal in first half injury time to confirm the Candystripes' win.

With neither Robbie Martin nor Conor Kenna fully fit, manager Pete Mahon went with the same team which had beaten Bray at the weekend. They started the stronger, with Anto Murphy and Tony McDonnell getting on the end of Stephen Hurley free-kicks within the first five minutes, though to no real end result.

However, Derry got back into the game and took the lead with their first real attack on 14 minutes. Gary Dicker gave the ball away under no pressure, and Alan Murphy seized the chance to run 20 yards past Dicker and Tony McDonnell before firing low into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Dicker was having a tough time of it in particular - five minutes later, he lost possession again on half-way and Stephen Hurley dived in with a late challenge to try and win possession back only to pick up a yellow card for his troubles.

With many passes going astray, UCD's best chances came from set pieces. Former Student Clive Delaney was lucky not to be booked five minutes after Hurley's yellow wth a late lunge on Anto Murphy; Derry keeper David Forde - who had already played a backpass straight into touch under very little pressure - let the free slip through his hands, but no blue jerseys were there to capitalise.

Ten minutes later, Delaney did enter the referee's book for a foul on Conan Byrne 10 yards outside the area; Alan Mahon's shot from distance was blocked by his own captain and although the rebound broke to Gary Dicker, the Derry defence was able to clear.

On 40 minutes, though, UCD were level. Stephen Hurley's hopeful punt was poorly dealt with by Clive Delaney, under pressure from Conan Byrne, and Byrne himself was on hand to seize on the loose ball with a first-time shot which caught David Forde by surprise - he was in fact running the other way to get back into position, having initially come for the long ball - and trickled into the bottom corner.

Parity lasted all of three minutes before Killian Brennan burst through the middle and played a through ball for Mark Farren; the ball glanced off Farren and changed path sufficiently enough for Pat McWalter's attempted clearance to turn into a pass into the bottom corner for an unfortunate own goal.

Within a minute, UCD could have been level when Peter Hutton was bustled off the ball by Byrne, only for the UCD forward to lose his footing as Forde snuffed out the danger.

The second half started out at the same pace as the first half had ended - we had to wait all of 30 seconds before Gary Beckett called Darren Quigley into action with a shot from the edge of the area. And a minute later again, Mark Farren flicked a Derry long-ball over Tony McDonnell's head only to loft his shot into the side netting.

UCD responded by bringing on Robbie Martin, back after a spell injured, and their game picked up, with Brian Gannon in particular causing problems. On 56 minutes, he broke down the right and, under pressure from Seán Hargan, shot narrowly over from a tight angle.

Gannon and Mahon were beginning to link up well on the wing, and another Mahon cross saw Forde hesitant, but the two UCD players in the box were too far away to make the final contact. It was the story of the night as far as UCD were concerned, with the Students never getting enough players into the box to create enough problems.

On 72 minutes, Conan Byrne span away from three Derry players and played Robbie Martin in on the left; Martin's squared return to Byrne was cleared for a corner. The corner was cleared as far as Gannon, who shaped up for a shot only to play a clever through ball which set Tony McDonnell free - this time, Seán Hargan cleared his cut-back along the six-yard box for another corner.

Although UCD probably shaded the second half in terms of number of attacks, Derry were the more dangerous going forward, and Stephen Hurley had to be alert to block another former UCD player, Ciarán Martyn's, shot from just outside the area. Then Pat McCourt set Killian Brennan away, and his shot required a full-length save from Darren Quigley, although Derry had a man over at the far post.

As the game entered injury time, memories of the semi-final win were inevitably conjured up. The ball ping-ponged about in Derry's box a couple of times, while Pat McCourt was released on the break as Derry looked to make it three, although the sub had little impact. With 20 seconds remaining, Alan Mahon put across a cross with the outside of his boot which was just over O'Donnell and McDonnell. The ref's dubious decision to give a corner was protested vehemently by the Derry players, but it mattered little as Forde claimed the set-piece, won a free and ended the game to seal Derry's Cup.

UCD - Quigley; Mahon, O'Donnell, Shortall, McDonnell; Hurley, Gannon (Kenna 80), Dicker, McWalter (Dupuy 88); C Byrne, Murphy (Martin 57). Subs not used - Gallagher, Harte

[John83]

Derry City sealed a deserevd ...

Oh dear...