UCD overcame a stubborn Sligo team to ensure they will finish no lower than second in the First Division this season - which could prove an important comfort zone if Dublin City start kicking up about UEFA Licencing. The College were marginally the better side and were probably flattered by the margin of victory, which came about through a missed penalty and an injury time goal.
The game was very open from the off, with Sligo causing plenty of problems when they spread the ball wide, and the UCD defence needed to be alert on a number of occasions. However, by far the best chance in the early stages fell to UCD when, after a goalmouth scramble, the ball was walloped off the bar from no more than six yards out and back into the hands of the grateful keeper.
Shortly afterwards, UCD took the lead - a cross from the right found Philly Hughes unmarked 18 yards out, and his shot bobbled past Rouse in the Sligo goal and into the far corner.
Sligo had chances too, however, with a couple of well struck long-range efforts the pick of them in the first half, while Darren Quigley also had to make a one-on-one save as well if memory serves correctly.
The second half wasn't as open as the first, but ten minutes in, the referee awarded what seemed a very soft penalty to Sligo. There were no complaints from the UCD players, however, and even fewer when the spot kick was whacked off the bar and cleared to safety.
As the game entered injury time, and UCD played mainly to keep the ball in the corner away from danger, it looked as if 1-0 was the way it was to finish. However, in the last action of the game, Paul Byrne was freed with a ball over the top of the defence, and he ran on to drill the ball through the legs of Rouse and into the back of the net for his first senior goal of the season, to add to the 20 he has for the reserves already. His celebration showed how much the goal meant to his and his teammates, and it appears that in Byrne, we may have someone who can emulate the likes of Mick O'Byrne, Robbie Martin and Willie Doyle.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, McAuley, Kenna, McNally (Foley 45); McDonnell, Sullivan, Murphy (Finn kind of snuck on at some stage, never saw when!), O'Donnell; Doyle (Byrne 45), Hughes
Att - 342
