UCD strolled into the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup for the first time in three years after a facile win over an outclassed Drumcondra on Friday night. Drums' manager had set out his tactics before the game as 10-0-0, with a moate around the goal and a couple of alsatians there as well, and he could well have done with them against a rampant UCD side. The Drums were obviously still rusty with their season starting only recently, and UCD took full advantage of some calamitous defending to seal a victory which equalled the Students' record FAI Cup win. Interestingly, that win - 5-0 against holders Sligo Rovers in a First Round Replay - was part of our only Cup winning campaign. Those into such omens will note that 1984 and 2004 end in the same number too, and that 1994 (1994/95 technically, but anyway!) saw us win the First Division, First Division Shield and Leinster Senior Cup.
The opening stages were fairly even, but the game turned when Pat Sullivan opened the scoring midway through the first half. He picked the ball up on the right, got past a couple of challenges before slotting home from inside the box for his first goal of the season.
It was 2-0 not ten minutes later - Pat McWalter going on a similar unchallenged run through to the penalty area before slotting home into the other corner. And 3-0 arrived before the break when, from best observations, a Drums defender met a cross with his thigh, fell onto the ground and in trying to clear the ball, succeeded only in knocking it into the back of the net, despite the keeper's extravagent efforts. Own goals, of course, aren't announced in Belfield Park, and so Mick O'Donnell was credited with a goal for the third time this season without scoring any of them (v. Dundalk when Willie Doyle scored, and v. Limerick away when he was nearest as another own goal was scored).
By this time, Drums were rattled, and their defending was more hurried than it needed to be, as they repeatedly gave away possession needlessly through knocking the ball out of play under little pressure, or the occasional bizarre slice out for a corner. And UCD capitalised ten minutes into the second half, when a low ball across the six-yard box missed three UCD players, and the entire Drums defence, before Tony McDonnell rammed home at the far post.
Drums had a chance to get a consolation goal, but after their right-back was picked out on the overlap, his curling drive from the corner of the area, which was heading straight for the top corner, was brilliantly tipped away by Darren Quigley. Apart from that, though, Quigley was rarely troubled.
Number 5 came with twenty or so minutes to go - a cross from the right which was met by a glancing header from Robbie Martin. After that, former Drums defender and now UCD manager Pete Mahon experimented a bit, bringing on Gary Dicker, Colm Kierans and Ciarán Foley - the latter for only his sixth appearance of the season despite being on the bench for most of the season - for Tony McDonnell, Pat Sullivan and Alan McNally respectively. There was little else of note, though Drums could have considered themselves lucky not to be reduced to ten men when number 6 (Paul Butler?) appeared to have been the last man when taking down Seán Finn. Maybe out of sympathy with their plight, the referee merely booked the player, and Seán Finn drove the free-kick into the wall.
So UCD advance to the quarters, with the added boost of the absence of Bohs, beaten by Kildare, who have admittedly been our bogey side this season. With Drogheda or Shels being saved up for the final, there are still some less-than-daunting teams left in the hat. Anything is still possible!
Went along to the match mate plays for drums , was very impressed with Ucd ,strong at the back , hard workers in the middle and very livley up front , would like to look at the odds you would get on league and cup double !!!!
23/08/2004, 3:46 PM
Schumi
Easy stuff really although it's nice to see us go on to score a few goals for once. Is anyone else getting the tingly feeling that we might go all the way this year?!
Does anyone know how long Willie Doyle is out for BTW?
24/08/2004, 6:09 PM
jagman
i believe willie got the all-clear and is free to play now
