UCD went back to the top of the First Division after a 2-1 win over Sligo in a very poor game in the Showgrounds on Saturday night. Whether it was the wind, or the pitch which looked very hard, resulting in players misjudging bounces on numerous occasions, or just one of those days, first touches were usually poor and few clear-cut chances arrived over the 90 minutes.
Late as we were to the game after a ten minute walk from the B&B turned out to be a 25 minute walk ( ;) ), we missed Pat McWalter's opener after five minutes. So, it seemed, had half the ground, as it wasn't until half-time that I found someone who knew who'd scored, and a Harps fan at the game was slagging us for not being top of the league until I told him to look at the scoreboard! I was informed that the goal was easily the highlight of the match, a rasping drive past the keeper.
UCD, missing Willie Doyle, Pat Sullivan and Hugh Davey through injury, were the better team for most of the first half, but rarely really threatened. Robbie Martin hit the side netting midway through the half, while Pat McWalter slipped his marker in the box and drew the keeper before unselfishly squaring to Robbie Martin, who couldn't get his shot away in time and the Sligo defence blocked the threat.
At the other end, a couple of deep crosses, and one rebound from a corner which was blocked away was about all that Sligo could muster and UCD were just about worth their advantage at half-time.
Sligo started the second half better and pushed UCD back, though still without creating too much. Then on 69 minutes, a Sligo player (don't know which one) robbed Conor Kenna in possession and, though his shot from 15 yards came off the post, Gareth Gorman was on hand to tap the rebound into an empty net.
UCD in recent weeks have been making an irritating habit of doing the least work necessary to go back to the top of the table - in Limerick, we had to win by three goals, went 3-0 up after half an hour and went to sleep, while against Cobh, a draw was enough, which we duly got. A win was needed to topple Harps, and after the equaliser, UCD woke up and began to press again. It was to take only ten minutes to force the equaliser, but in that period, Seán Finn had a 20-yarder tipped over the bar, the Sligo keeper appeared to let a cross through his fingers and was grateful for a defender on the line to clear before Robbie Martin got in and a deflected header went inches wide of the post. The winner was scrappy - Robbie Mac got his head to a corner, his effort was blocked, but Colm Kierans was on hand to drill home from inside the six-yard box.
UCD held the upper hand after that, and Pat McWalter was more of a threat on the wing, twice beating his man before heading into the corner to protect the lead. In the last couple of minutes, Sligo nearly had a second equaliser when a seemingly harmless shot from outside the area took a bobble, and Darren Quigley couldn't adjust to hold the ball, parrying instead before the defence cleared.
So the College go back top again, with a home game against Dundalk, who lost 5-1 in Bray last week, next. The Sligo game, though, was also (or maybe only?) notable for the league debut of Paul Byrne, who has seven goals for the U-21s so far this season.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, McAuley, Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, McWalter, Finn, O'Donnell (Kelly); Kierans, Martin (Byrne). Subs not used - Gallagher, Foley, Dicker.
Att - c 650
