UCD kept up their momentum at the top of the First Division with a fairly comfortable win over Limerick at Belfield on Friday night.
In the Students' previous two home games, Willie Doyle had opened the scoring with spectacular goals after only 30 seconds. This time, it took him all of 33 minutes to open the scoring. Limerick failed to clear a corner, and a scramble ensued during which first Doyle and then Robbie Martin had shots blocked, before the ball broke to Doyle to poke home his fifth goal in six games.
The spectacular was to follow six minutes later with Seán Finn's first of the season. There appeared no danger when a cross from the right was routinely cleared, but Finn lined up the volley and rifled the ball into the top corner of thenet from outside the box.
Those two goals turned the match, and UCD were on top for the remainder of the game. Robbie Martin should have had his fifth of the season as well, but for some uncharacteristic profligacy in front of goal - first shooting straight at the keeper from a good position, and later taking far too much time after Jimmy Fyffe had only parried a long range shot out to Martin, six yards from goal and with the keeper on the ground. Instead of shooting first time, he took the ball down and the Limerick defence could recover.
Before the hour, it was 3-0, courtesy of another superb finish, this time from Pat McWalter. Willie Doyle set him up through the middle, and he curled the bal past Fyffe from just inside the edge of the area.
Limerick never gave up, and could have had a consolation in the last minute when Neil Gallagher got caught in no-man's-land, but John Mernagh, with the goal gaping, lobbed the ball just inches wide.
Before the end, there was the bizarre sight of Brian Newguy Gannon actually being subbed for someone smaller than him - Damien Kelly, making his debut after signing from Waterford. The highly-rated midfielder is on an advance scholarship and is only in fifth year in school!
UCD didn't manage to keep up their four-goals-a-game average in Belfield this season, but a sixth straight home win and a fourth straight clean sheet sees them move four points clear of fourth place in the race for promotion. Remarkably, they lie second in both the home and away form tables on alphabetical order (to Athlone and Bray). Next week sees a break in the league schedule as College travel to Bray, scene of their heartening opening day triumph over the Wanderers, in the League Cup, while the league resumes on Saturday night with a trip to struggling Cobh.
UCD -
Gallagher; Mahon, Davey, McAuley, McNally; McDonnell (Sullivan), Gannon (Kelly), Finn, McWalter; Martin (Kenna), Doyle
Attendance - 271
