St Pat's first goal in Belfield Park in the league in over five years gave them their first league victory at the venue in almost ten years to leave College pointless and goalless after two games. While it ultimately needed a moment of magic from Seán O'Connor to separate the two sides, it was no more than the Saints deserved as UCD failed to create much in the way of chances.
With club captain Tony McDonnell still injured, UCD were unchanged from the team which had gone down 2-0 to Derry last week. Paul Byrne took part in the warm-up session, but wasn't risked for a place on the bench yet, but his comeback appears to be now only a couple of weeks away as well.
On a bitterly cold night, Pat's started the brighter, and Alan Mahon earned UCD's first booking of the season just three minutes in with a late tackle on his man on the left wing. Pat's created more chances, but their Achilles' Heel in front of goal let them down on several occasions, with the Saints threatening the student residences of Glenomena far more regularly than Darren Quigley in the UCD goal. At the other end, UCD's attacks usually got no further than the wings, with too few blue shirts in the Pat's box to threaten.
UCD's best chance of the game came just into the second half, when Conan Byrne got in behind the Pat's defence, but his shot from an angle was well held by former UCD keeper Barry Ryan.
The only goal of the game came just past the hour mark when O'Connor latched onto a loose ball some 30 yards out and rifled a shot past Darren Quigley straight into the top corner.
Towards the end, UCD finally started to cause the Pat's defence some worries, forcing a series of corners as they pumped the ball into the box in a late attempt to salvage something from the game. However, the Pat's defence held firm to finally break their Belfield Park hoodoo and go - temporarily at least - to the top of the league pile.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, Ryan, Kenna, McNally; Hurley (Matthews 73), Cawley, Dicker, McWalter; C Byrne, Quinn (Sammon 78)
Att - 570
With club captain Tony McDonnell still injured, UCD were unchanged from the team which had gone down 2-0 to Derry last week. Paul Byrne took part in the warm-up session, but wasn't risked for a place on the bench yet, but his comeback appears to be now only a couple of weeks away as well.
On a bitterly cold night, Pat's started the brighter, and Alan Mahon earned UCD's first booking of the season just three minutes in with a late tackle on his man on the left wing. Pat's created more chances, but their Achilles' Heel in front of goal let them down on several occasions, with the Saints threatening the student residences of Glenomena far more regularly than Darren Quigley in the UCD goal. At the other end, UCD's attacks usually got no further than the wings, with too few blue shirts in the Pat's box to threaten.
UCD's best chance of the game came just into the second half, when Conan Byrne got in behind the Pat's defence, but his shot from an angle was well held by former UCD keeper Barry Ryan.
The only goal of the game came just past the hour mark when O'Connor latched onto a loose ball some 30 yards out and rifled a shot past Darren Quigley straight into the top corner.
Towards the end, UCD finally started to cause the Pat's defence some worries, forcing a series of corners as they pumped the ball into the box in a late attempt to salvage something from the game. However, the Pat's defence held firm to finally break their Belfield Park hoodoo and go - temporarily at least - to the top of the league pile.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, Ryan, Kenna, McNally; Hurley (Matthews 73), Cawley, Dicker, McWalter; C Byrne, Quinn (Sammon 78)
Att - 570
I know that U.C.D. don't have the largest budget, but surely they could have got someone better than that. (Athough I will make a proper judgement of him when I've seen him play.)
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