A ten-minute goal blitz from UCD sent them back to the top of the First Division after they comfortably overcame Limerick by the three goals needed to head Bray on goals scored.
The game wasn't the most entertaining to watch, and College will be annoyed that, after going 3-0 up early on, they failed to add to their advantage for the last hour of the game.
Both sides had had a goal correctly ruled out in the opening exchanges, but UCD were on top, and Alan Mahon had a chance to break his goal duck (144 league games and counting!!) when his volley from the edge of the area was blocked, while Pat Sullivan could have done better (hard to see from the other end of the ground) when, after passing two or three Limerick players, his shot was blocked away.
The breakthrough goal came on 25 minutes. Pat McWalter made space on the right wing, and his low cross towards Mick O'Donnell and Robbie Martin went in off a Limerick defender. Aertel gave the goal to Willie Doyle, but the nearest UCD player was Mick O'Donnell, who, naturally, claimed the goal afterwards. Robbie Martin described the goal as a "Mick O'Donnell og".
Five minutes later, and it was 2-0 courtesy of a disastrous error in the Limerick defence. A backpass was played woefully short (or was perhaps held up in the long grass), and Willie Doyle ran on with only the keeper to beat. His first shot hit the post, but he recovered to beat the keeper to the ball to slot home from six yards to bring his tally for the season to 14, equalling the record for most league goals scored in a season for UCD.
Five minutes later, he had beaten the record as Tony McDonnell got space on the right to send in a cross, and Doyle was unmarked six yards out to tap home a simple goal.
The remainder of the game was mainly UCD pressure, and the linesman didn't help the College's cause with some highly dubious offside calls, but UCD ended up pulling their usual trick of doing enough to win the match and going to sleep again. Had they utilised their advantage to the full, they could have had a hatful of goals; as it was, the Limerick defence kept them out without too much trouble, though they were unable to create much at the other end, and in fact I can't recall a single corner for the home team. Robbie Martin was booked for a late challenge in the second half - unfortunately, the referee had lost his yellow card and so raised his hand in the air before going over to inform the fourth official of the booking! One other incident of note was a senior debut for Paul Byrne, who has five goals for the reserves so far this season.
So a two-week break from the league before we take on our bogey team - Cobh Ramblers - in the league. In the meantime, Cork visit in the FAI Cup, so here's hoping Willie Doyle's scoring run will continue in Cup competitions too!
