Derry 0-1 UCD

[Aberdonian Stu]

Woohoo! Cracking result.

Just checked the dates for the semis. I will just make it back into the country in time from my trip to Vegas, though if it's outside of Dublin on the Friday I'll be watching it on the box.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Aberdonian Stu

It's bound to be away , it's the Cup in 2007 we don't get home draws this year for some reason, but possibly in Dublin . One positive omen is we were also drawn away from home in every round in 1984. The only home game was a replay with Sligo in the first round proper.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Back from the game there (out of the house since 9am) and we were well worth the victory. Another casualty in defence though- Evan McMillan went off at half time, replaced by Gallagher. Too tired to go into more now but team was:

Quigley, Mahon, Shorthall, McMillan (Gallagher), Kenna; Conan (Purcell), King, McFaul, McWalter; Finn; Sammon.

Conan got official motm, while Sammo got it on the radio. I would have given it to Conan.

Will do a report sometime tomorrow.

Crowd was 2,450.

[feo123]

congrats lads.....famous victory for ye, lost me money on the pools but a great win for the club!

[CollegeTillIDie]

Dmand here's the official FAI version save you the job!


Derry City 0 UCD 1

FAI Cup holders Derry City sensationally crashed out of this year’s competition when shocked by a decimated UCD at the Brandywell.

And Pete Mahon’s hopes of causing the first shock in this year’s event was realised when his bustling lone frontman, Conor Sammon, netted the vital winner on the hour.

Minus no fewer than seven first choice players, Mahon strung five players across the centre of the park, happy to hit on the break and that tactic served his side particularly well on the night.

The home side opened in determined mood and, indeed, should have broken the deadlock during the opening five minutes.

Derry’s Eddie McCallion worked his way past UCD’s Pat McWalter and while his low cross into the danger area presented Kevin McHugh with a glorious chance but the striker failed to hit the target with a deft touch.

While the Students found themselves on the defensive, Pete Mahon’s men could so easily opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Conor Kenna’s low shot was parried by Pat Jennings before the ball was whipped clear.

UCD forced Jennings to be alert on the half hour while Derry’s Paddy McCourt sent a similar shot directly at Darren Quigley who had not difficulty in gathering possession eight minutes later.

One minute before the break, Ciaran Martyn played McHugh in but the ball seemed to get tangled between his legs and another opportunity was lost.

And seconds before the half-time whistle, a Ruaidhri Higgins cross was met by Paddy McCourt who headed the ball over the crossbar from close range.

Following the change of ends, the home side continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession as Martyn flashed a shot over the crossbar and Mark Farren’s attempted cross was too close to the UCD keeper.

Barry Molloy did have Quigley scrambling in the 53 minute with a shot from 25 yards but the UCD keeper parried the effort wide of the upright at the expense of a corner.

The best scoring chance of the match up until that point fell to Derry in the 58th minute. A superb pass from well inside his own half by Higgins sent Farren scampering clear but the striker recklessly flashed the ball wide of the target in the one-on-one situation with Quigley.

Ironically, UCD moved the ball up the park two minutes later and when Conan Byrne left Killian Brennan in his wake, the winger’s low cross into the danger was nudged home by Conor Sammon from point blank range.

The goal came totally against the run of play but, that said, Derry had failed to force Quigley into a serious save and UCD’s ploy of hitting on the break had reaped a handsome reward.

Shots from McCourt and McHugh were comfortably dealt with by Quigley as the home side continued to surge forward but it was the visitors who remained disciplined and in control of the vital midfield area.

With six minutes remaining a curling Brennan free-kick shaved the UCD upright and it was clear this was not to be Derry’s night.

Derry City – Jennings; McCallion, Oman (Hargan, 78 mins.), Hutton, Brennan; Higgins (Deery, 68 mins.), Molloy, Martyn, McCourt (McGlynn, 80 mins.); Farren, McHugh.

UCD – Quigley; Mahon, McMillan (Gallagher, half-time), Shortall, Kenna; Byrne (Purcell, 85 mins.), King, McFaul, Finn, McWalter; Sammon.

Referee – Mr. Damien Hancock

[U-C-D]

motm was probably shane mcfaul in my opinion altho sammo was also excellent (for once). he seems to turn it on in the bigger games!

kinger also did a great job, he was clearly told to man mark paddy mccourt and did a brilliant job. mccourt hardly had a touch!

[DmanDmythDledge]

kinger also did a great job, he was clearly told to man mark paddy mccourt and did a brilliant job. mccourt hardly had a touch!

Conan, Sammo and King were our stand out performers last night I felt. King was left to man mark McCourt and McCourt was eventually substituted with five minutes to go. We seemed to be playing a new system as well last night, think it was something like this:

---------------Quigley

Mahon----Shorthall---McMillan---Kenna

----------King-------McFaul

------Conan-----Finn-------McWalter

---------------Sammo

At times it was like we had two right wingers! Most of our attacks went down the left in the first half with it becoming 4-4-2 when attacking- Conan pushing up and King moving to where he was. Second half we stuck with that the whole time and it was very successful.

First half we did alright. Struggled to get any attacks going because Kenna's distribution was so poor. Second half we passed the ball much better and controlled the game for long spells, although lacked a cutting edge. Derry only had one clearcut chance when Farren should have scored but apart from that they only had long range efforts that were straight at Quigley. McMillan was doing well until he had to go off injured- I'd say he's done enough to be ahead of Shorthall in the pecking order. Gallagher did very well to when he came on.

Only poor performance last night was Podge, seems to be completely lacking in confidence- never attempted to beat the full back once last night. Any time he got the ball he ran sideways towards the touchline then passed back to the full back. One or two chances as well when the situation was crying out for a shot at goal.

If we play like that in the semis we will be in the final.

[Colie]

Great result. I have to stop doubting Sammo. And there was me all ready to head down to Belfield for the Waterford game. Eh, I seem to have lost a week there somewhere....

[pineapple stu]

Got fecking delayed for a couple of hours in Naas picking my car up, so ended up listening to the game while completely but enjoyably lost in the midlands somewhere. Liam Coyle on RTÉ started off saying that Derry would be loking for the early goal to settle them, and then take it from there. You could hear him getting steadily more and more shocked as the game went on.

Quite possibly our best ever result, given that we were missing our captain, our vice captain, our vice vice captain, our top scorer in the league, our joint top scorer, two others, picked up an injury in the game and couldn't even fill the bench. Derry, by contrast, were unbeaten in domestic competition under Robertson until last week, and beat us 3-0 only a couple of weeks ago.

That's four times by my count we've knocked the defending Cup holders out, including one instance of defeating a two-time reigning champion and one of defeating a three-time reigning champion. Wonder who else can match that since 79?

[pineapple stu]

Greg Bolger came on in the 90th minute, incidentally. Can't remember who for.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Derry City 0-1 UCD

Students shock cup favourites

An injury-hit UCD caused a major upset in the FAI Ford Cup Quarter-Finals at they defeated cup holders Derry City in the Brandywell. UCD were well worth their victory, with a Conor Sammon goal all that separated the two sides.

Pete Mahon was forced to make two changes to an already injury plagued UCD team. Evan McMillan replaced Derek Doyle, who sufferred a horrific injury last week against Sligo, with Conor Kenna moving to left back and Brian King replaced the ineligible Peter Hynes, changing to a 4-5-1 formation.

Derry had the first chance of the game and were inches away from opening the scoring. Eddie McCallion easily brushed past Patrick McWalter on the right and delivered a low cross into the area. Kevin McHugh beat Brian Shorthall to the ball but his flick went agonizingly wide.

UCD were finding it difficult to get into the game with sloppy passing and it wasn't until 16 minutes that they created their first chance of the game. Conor Kenna found himself in space on the left-hand side of Derry's penalty box. His left-footed strike was saved by Patrick Jennings. Ken Oman had to be alert to clear the danger, with Conor Sammon lurking.

The remainder of the first half was a tame affair, with the only other opportunity coming towards the end of the half. Derry won a corner on the right and Ruaidhrí Higgins sent in an enticing cross. Patrick McCourt rose unchallenged but he headed over when he should have hit the target.

The visitors were forced to make a change at half-time with Killian Gallagher replacing the injured Evan McMillan. This gave the UCD side a more balanced shape and allowed them to be more of a threat on the counter in the second half.

Derry continued to have the majority of possession at the beginning of the second half but were still unable to break down a solid UCD defence. On 53 minutes the ball was cleared to Barry Molloy, whose effort was deflected away from Darren Quigley. However Quigley still managed to tip the ball around the post for a corner.

The Candystripes' best chance of the game came after 58 minutes. Higgins played a superb through ball over the UCD defence and Mark Farren beat Conor Kenna for pace. However the striker flashed the ball wide of the target, with only the keeper to beat.

The home side were made pay for that missed opportunity just two minutes later. Shane McFaul played a wonderful through ball behind the Derry defence. Conan Byrne outmuscled Killian Brennan to set himself free on the right and produced a lovely low cross which found Conor Sammon The Irish U-21 international made no mistake from six yards out to steer the ball past Jennings and give UCD the lead against the run of play.

The goal came as a shock to Derry who struggled to get into the game afterwards. UCD began to dominate possession but could not create the clear-cut chances their play deserved.

As the game entered its closing stages UCD were content to sit back and defend their lead. Despite this Derry failed to create any chances with the impressive defensive work from UCD, in particular Brian King, limited them to long range chances, which were easily dealt with by Quigley.

Derry's last chance of the sending the game to a replay came in stoppage time. The home side won a free kick 20 yards out. Brennan stepped up and curled the ball narrowly wide of the goal, much to the relief of the visitors.

After an anxious last few minutes Damien Hancock blew the final whistle to give UCD a deserved victory and their first semi-final appearance since 1984, after three successive quarter-final defeats.

UCD: Quigley, Mahon, Shorthall, McMillan (Gallagher H/T), Kenna; C. Byrne (Purcell '85), McFaul, King, McWalter; Finn (Bolger '90); Sammon.
Subs not used: Gregg, Murphy.

Man of the match: Conan Byrne.
Attendence: 2,450.

[pineapple stu]

Oi - I liked my headline! I've restored it.

[Poor Student]

Dman, couple of questions. On Derry City Chat you said Sammo had a good celebration, what did he do? Also, what's that Sligoman quote in your signature?

Shows the strength in dept our squad now has. While it's not the best team, that's a good lineup we could send out with 7 players injured. Our central midfield possibilites are particularly impressive.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Brian King has got to be a candidate for new player of the year. You can play him almost anywhere and he does a job. Dmand, cut Podge some slack he has been off injured for the guts of a year with a potentially career threatening injury.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Oi - I liked my headline! I've restored it.

Too many alliterations for my liking. As you said...

Dman, couple of questions. On Derry City Chat you said Sammo had a good celebration, what did he do? Also, what's that Sligoman quote in your signature?

He scored down the end where the players enter the pitch, where the signing Derry fans are. He ran behind the goal and past where they were with his arm aloft and was met by a chorus of boos. I found it funny anyway. http://www.eircomloi.ie:82/

Just click on the the blue box next to his name to see what he was talking about!

Brian King has got to be a candidate for new player of the year. You can play him almost anywhere and he does a job. Dmand, cut Podge some slack he has been off injured for the guts of a year with a potentially career threatening injury.

Most other seasons he'd win it hands down but I would have Bermingham and McFaul ahead of him this year.

Just calling a spade a spade. I know about his injury but if he's still not ready I don't think he should be in the team.