Are you taking the ****?!
A clinical Sligo side earned their first win in Belfield Park in 21 years against an out of sorts UCD to leapfrog the Students in the league table. UCD had enough chances to take something from the match, but wayward finishing and some excellent keeping from the Sligo keeper saw the points go west.
UCD were unchanged from the side which beat Salthill 4-0 last week, and could have been in front inside five minutes, when a speculative Tony McDonnell shot from the edge of the area was tipped over by Sligo keeper Dick Brush.
In a first half largely devoid of action, UCD did have the ball in the net on 38 minutes, but Derek Doyle's effort after a scramble on the edge of the box was rightly ruled out for offside. And a minute before half time, Conan Byrne finally got the better of Keith Foy to send in a low cross to Paul Byrne, whose shot in turn went right across the face of the goal without getting a final touch.
UCD were dealt an injury blow as the game entered injury time, with Ian Bermingham being stretchered off with concussion after a clash of heads; he is, however, likely to be back for the next league game against Drogheda.
The half time break came at a bad time for UCD, who were finally starting to gain the upper hand in the game, and indeed, just two minutes into the second half, Sligo had the lead when Hughes was plyed through in the box, and he calmly slotted past the advancing Matt Gregg.
The game really opened up after the goal, and two minutes later, Conor Sammon went past his man on the left wing to advance to the edge of the area, but his final shot was weak with Conan Byrne free on the right. And a minute later, Derek Doyle went past a weak challenge in centre mid before drilling in a right footed shot which went just wide. A few minutes later again, it was Sligo's turn to threaten, when Matt Gregg made a superb double stop on the edge of his area.
UCD's best chance of an equaliser came on 64 minutes, when Shane McFaul tried his luck from the edge of the area, only to see his shot come off the post, rebound off the keeper's head and onto the post again before dropping onto the line and ultimately being cleared. McFaul was shortly after on the end of an Alan Mahon cross but headed just wide, while from a Paul Crowley ball, Conan Byrne chested down to Conor Sammon, but the ball got stuck under the striker's foot, and Brush was out to collect.
At this stage, Sligo were cnotent to pull numbers back in defence and hit on the counter, and disaster hit the home side with a quarter of an hour remaining, when a long ball forward was headed backwards by Tony McDonnell, and Matthew Judge gleefully ran on unopposed to round Matt Gregg and slot home.
In UCD's last three home games, they had come from behind to seal a point, and they certainly lacked no little confidence as they set about a seemingly impossible task. Brush produced a superb full stretch save from Paul Byrne as the game neared injury time, while from the corner, Alan McNally headed just over. At this stage, however, it was looking all over for the hosts, and when Tony McDonnell headed over from a yard out - albeit stretching to reach Conan Byrne's cross - all that was left was for Sligo to play down the clock.
UCD - Gregg; Mahon, Bermingham (Crowley 44), Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, C Byrne, Doyle (Purcell 75), McFaul; Sammon (Fitzgerald), P Byrne. Subs not used - Quigley, Bolger.
Att - 340
A clinical Sligo side earned their first win in Belfield Park in 21 years against an out of sorts UCD to leapfrog the Students in the league table. UCD had enough chances to take something from the match, but wayward finishing and some excellent keeping from the Sligo keeper saw the points go west.
UCD were unchanged from the side which beat Salthill 4-0 last week, and could have been in front inside five minutes, when a speculative Tony McDonnell shot from the edge of the area was tipped over by Sligo keeper Dick Brush.
In a first half largely devoid of action, UCD did have the ball in the net on 38 minutes, but Derek Doyle's effort after a scramble on the edge of the box was rightly ruled out for offside. And a minute before half time, Conan Byrne finally got the better of Keith Foy to send in a low cross to Paul Byrne, whose shot in turn went right across the face of the goal without getting a final touch.
UCD were dealt an injury blow as the game entered injury time, with Ian Bermingham being stretchered off with concussion after a clash of heads; he is, however, likely to be back for the next league game against Drogheda.
The half time break came at a bad time for UCD, who were finally starting to gain the upper hand in the game, and indeed, just two minutes into the second half, Sligo had the lead when Hughes was plyed through in the box, and he calmly slotted past the advancing Matt Gregg.
The game really opened up after the goal, and two minutes later, Conor Sammon went past his man on the left wing to advance to the edge of the area, but his final shot was weak with Conan Byrne free on the right. And a minute later, Derek Doyle went past a weak challenge in centre mid before drilling in a right footed shot which went just wide. A few minutes later again, it was Sligo's turn to threaten, when Matt Gregg made a superb double stop on the edge of his area.
UCD's best chance of an equaliser came on 64 minutes, when Shane McFaul tried his luck from the edge of the area, only to see his shot come off the post, rebound off the keeper's head and onto the post again before dropping onto the line and ultimately being cleared. McFaul was shortly after on the end of an Alan Mahon cross but headed just wide, while from a Paul Crowley ball, Conan Byrne chested down to Conor Sammon, but the ball got stuck under the striker's foot, and Brush was out to collect.
At this stage, Sligo were cnotent to pull numbers back in defence and hit on the counter, and disaster hit the home side with a quarter of an hour remaining, when a long ball forward was headed backwards by Tony McDonnell, and Matthew Judge gleefully ran on unopposed to round Matt Gregg and slot home.
In UCD's last three home games, they had come from behind to seal a point, and they certainly lacked no little confidence as they set about a seemingly impossible task. Brush produced a superb full stretch save from Paul Byrne as the game neared injury time, while from the corner, Alan McNally headed just over. At this stage, however, it was looking all over for the hosts, and when Tony McDonnell headed over from a yard out - albeit stretching to reach Conan Byrne's cross - all that was left was for Sligo to play down the clock.
UCD - Gregg; Mahon, Bermingham (Crowley 44), Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, C Byrne, Doyle (Purcell 75), McFaul; Sammon (Fitzgerald), P Byrne. Subs not used - Quigley, Bolger.
Att - 340
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