UCD's first-ever win in St Colman's Park was a fitting way to seal an immediate return to the top flight. In doing so, they also broke their record for most points in a season - admittedly, the 64 points gained in 1994/95 was from a mere 27 games - while two more goals in our final three games will break our goalscoring record from the same season. Alan Mahon, however, has yet to score still...!
The only goal of the game came from the first attack of the game - Robbie Mac put a long ball into the edge of the area, the Cobh keeper came but was beaten to the ball by Pat Sullivan, whose header looped over the keeper and into the back of the net despite the best efforts of a covering Cobh defender.
In a break from tradition, UCD didn't sit back on their lead but instead continued to attack. Willie Doyle, back in for his first start since the 3-0 win over Athlone in September, was a constant nuisance, lofting a ball over his marker before blasting narrowly over, while a low Mick O'Donnell found Robbie Martin at the far post, but his effort hit the post. Cobh were as physical as ever, and after their number 9 fouled Pat Sullivan out on the touchline in line with the edge of the area, he subsequently wrestled Sullivan to the ground and may have considered himself fortunate to get away with only a yellow card - Cobh's third of the game. Cobh's best chance of the first half was a goalmouth scramble which was eventually cleared, while Darren Quigley saved well from in-form Dave Warren in a one-on-one situation.
Cobh came much more into the game in the second half, but it was only with the introduction of Tony Tynan that they really started to threaten. Within ten minutes of his introduction, he picked the ball up 25 yards from goal and curled a shot which smacked off the bar with Quigley beaten. Cobh got the rebound to send over a cross which Quigley palmed away with more difficulty than was really necessary and a Cobh player headed across goal when he should have done better. From the clearance, Tynan again curled against the exact same part of the bar from about five yards nearer in. UCD cleared for a corner, which was powered just inches wide.
The last ten minutes saw pretty much constant Cobh pressure, with the UCD defenders losing their composure somewhat, uncharacteristically skying clearances, but Cobh couldn't make anything more and after three minutes injury-time, the ref called time on UCD's stay in the First Division to start the celebrations.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, McAuley, Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, Sullivan (Finn 86), Murphy, O'Donnell; Martin, Doyle (Hughes 83)
Att - 200
