Drogheda United 3-2 UCD (aet)
A late late free kick saw UCD's Cup dream end in heartbreak just minutes after they looked to have taken the game to penalties. It was probably harsh on the College after they had led for most of the game, with Drogheda again looking like a very ordinary side, fit and strong, but technically poor. In the end, it was probably the greater fluidity from being a full-time team which saw Drogheda through, but not without a hell of a fight.
The kick-off was bizarrely delayed ten minutes because of the "large crowd outside" - at 7:45, there were about 30 people outside, so presumably Drogheda were just looking to get their normal 8:00 kick-off for whatever reason. The match programme also provided a curious comment from Doolin, who said that Drogheda had "found it quite difficult to cope with UCD's style of play on Friday" - obviously not used to teams playing football against them, it seems!
The major problem in Belfield had been that for all UCD's possession and good play, they hadn't created enough of chances in front of goal. It took only two minutes here for UCD to take the lead. Robbie Martin latched onto a ball over the top from the right and deftly lifted the ball over the advancing Gary Rogers for his fifth goal in the last six games.
Rogers had had a poor game in Belfield, and had a nightmare here again, as did Sandvliet at left-back. This unease seemed to spread to the rest of the team, as the Drogs' control and passing was woeful for much of the first half, which they played with a strong wind behind their backs. While the Drogs misplaced many passes, often for throws to UCD, the College were far the more composed side, with Seán Finn exceptional in centre-mid. However, clear-cut chances were few and far between for both teams, with Drogheda's best chance being a free from a few yards outside the area which was drilled into the wall. Most of Drogheda's other shots were wild efforts which probably went over the houses across the road outside!
In the second half, Drogheda started to come into the game more, and equalised with less than 15 minutes left. Declan O'Brien took a pass inside the area, turned Conor Kenna and sidefooted into the far corner from ten yards.
As usually happens when we fail to close out a match and let in an equaliser, we took the game to the Drogs for the remainder of the 90 minutes. Willie Doyle was twice freed with balls over the top, once his control let him down, once he was denied by a brilliant covering tackle just as he was about to shoot. Gary Rogers then came for a ball, missed it entirely, but recovered as Mick O'Donnell tried to go round him rather than shoot first time. A couple of careless offsides also ended promising attacks prematurely.
At the other end, Drogheda were countering with speed, but couldn't break down a resilient UCD defence as the game became more and more a classic Cup tie. By this stage, Ciarán Foley was on for the injured Alan McNally, who seemed to have suffered a nose injury after taking an accidental elbow in the face from a United player, while Kierans had replaced the tiring Doyle. No further goals resulted in the 90 minutes, though, and so, just like our previous quarter-final in 2002 in Derry, we went into extra-time.
Just three minutes in, and a poorly-defended free-kick let Drogs in for the lead goal. A free was flung in from the left, Quigley initially came but left it as the wind caught the ball a bit, the ball was headed back from the far post and O'Brien was on hand to head over the line, despite Conor Kenna's best efforts to clear.
As the half wore on, tiredness crept into both teams. Rogers played a kick-out straight to Seán Finn, who was closed down before he could cause any damage, while Ciarán Foley sliced a clearance backwards towards his own goalkeeper, who took a kick from a United player as both went for the ball. Quigley's distribution, like Rogers', was poor in extra-time, and he found the touchline with too many of his goal-kicks.
UCD could have been forgiven for lying down, but fought back and should have been level on the stroke of half-time. First, a header came back off the Drogheda cross-bar with Rogers completely beaten; the rebound fell for Colm Kierans four yards out, who looked to be barged in the back as he stooped to head the ball. The referee ignored the shout, and Rogers came from nowhere to parry the ball away on the line; Brian Gannon's rebound was deflected wide for a corner.
In the second half of extra-time, Declan O'Brien had a gilt-edged chance to complete his hat-trick, but after Quigley had spilled a long-range effort, O'Brien somehow blasted the ball wildly over the top.
That was the last action of the first-half of extra-time, but UCD incredibly came level with just four minutes to go in the match. Seán Finn was fouled outside the area, and Robbie Mac stepped up to curl a tremendous shot over Rogers and into the top corner. The irony was that, after having had so may poor set-pieces throughout the game, the goal was a set-piece of the highest calibre.
But there was to be one last twist in the tale. Two minutes later, in a moment again reminiscent of our last quarter-final against Derry, Drogheda won a free-kick two yards outside the area. John Lester drilled the ball low and into the bottom corner.
So the Cup dream is over for another season, though at least Mark Rooney didn't score, or really contribute much bar showing a bit of pace on occasions! The game marked UCD's fifth against Premier Division opposition this season if you count the League Cup, and we have yet to lose one over the 90 minutes, which is encouraging. And as news filtered through that Longford had beaten Athlone, attention turned to our league meeting with the Bit Of Blue on Friday. If only we can play like we have for the last two games (v. Drogheda) against Athlone, we should be capable of winning with something to spare. Though football is never that clear-cut!
UCD - Quigley; Sullivan (Gannon 102), McAuley, Kenna, McNally (Foley 88); Dicker, McWalter, Finn, O'Donnell; Doyle (Kierans 86), Martin. Subs not used - O'Brien, Whelan.
Att - c 1800 (though very hard to tell with the terracing)
