UCD U-21s 3-2 Cork City U-21s
UCD triumphed in the Dr Tony O’Neill u-21 league final after a highly fractious final in Belfield on Sunday afternoon. It marked UCD’s first win in the competition named after the person who was synonymous with UCD, and it also marked the end of Cork’s two-year reign as champions.
The first 20 minutes were fairly end-to-end, with Paul Byrne holding the ball up very well for UCD, who created a couple of decent shooting chances which were ultimately poorly taken, while Cork called Neil Gallagher into action a couple of times, once with a well-struck shot from outside the area which the keeper did well to tip away, and again with a deflected drive from the edge of the area. However, City took the lead midway through the first half when Shane Long ran on to a through ball to fire past Gallagher, who got a touch, but not enough to keep it out.
UCD were back level four minutes later. Brian Gannon made a trademark surge into the penalty area and was clearly tripped by Lopez. Despite the presence of 25-goal Paul Byrne on the team, captain Gannon himself took the penalty, sending McNulty in the Cork goal the wrong way.
From there to half-time, the game was more noticeable for its bad-temperedness. Niggling fouls began to creep into the game, most noticeably when UCD’s number 11 cleaned goalscorer Long late in the half. He was booked, while the Cork player received treatment for the final five minutes of the half for an ankle injury before being subbed off at half-time. That there were three minutes of injury time at the end of the first half was testament to the amount of work being carried out by the physios.
The trend continued into the second half, with Brian Gannon being the victim of a nasty late challenge for which the referee – losing control of the game, as many argued afterwards – failed even to book the Cork number 9, while Gannon was also wrestled to the ground by Stephen O’Flynn. Cork in particular were quick to get involved in any flare-ups going and really could have been down to ten men long before it happened. The only irony was that when they were reduced in numbers, it was for a professional foul rather than dirty play. Conor Sammon, on for just a minute, ran onto a through ball and should have scored, but he fluffed his shot, which went under the keeper but with not enough pace to reach the net. As he ran around the keeper, he was cynically pushed over, and the ref had no hesitation in awarding the penalty and showing the red card. With Cork having no sub keeper on the bench – an omission which is surely inexcusable in an era when you can name five subs – winger Stephen O’Flynn went in nets. His first task was to pick the ball out of the net as Gannon scored his second penalty of the game.
After that, UCD seemed to panic, perhaps too aware that Cork had a forward in nets and too eager to take shots to test him out. Cork came back into the game more, but their indiscipline still showed when their assistant manager and one sub were ordered from the dugout after the referee’s attention was brought to an incident by the fourth official. When next the Cork subs went for a warm-up, there was the bizarre sight of just one person on the Cork dug-out, with all the rest having been sent for early showers.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, it was no surprise when Cork equalised with only minutes to go. Brian Gannon gave away a free-kick on the edge of the area, and Denis Behan stepped up to drill into the bottom corner via a decisive deflection.
The goal upped Cork’s spirits even more, but in the dying minutes, UCD struck for the winner when Conor Sammon was freed in the area, and he drilled past O’Flynn in nets. O’Flynn had already shown signs of uncertainty when kicking clear previous through balls rather than catching them, and certainly it must be said that with a regular keeper in nets, Cork might have made it to extra-time. UCD held on until the end to spark joyous scenes of celebration, and it must be said that the more disciplined team were deserving, and indeed apt, given the trophy’s name, winners.
UCD – Gallagher; Gannon, Tiernan, Shortall, McEniff; Harte, Hurley, O’Brien, Doyle (Purcell); Byrne, Brophy (Sammon)
Att - 400
Match Report from The Star.....
THE STAR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 23 2004..... TARGET SUPPLEMENT
" TEN MAN CORK SUNK BY SAMMON " UCD Supersub grabs late winner ; UCD3 CORK CITY 2 Rob Cullen Reports
An injury time winner by supersub Conor Sammon handed UCD the Dr. Tony O'Neill Eircom League Under 21 Trophy out in Belfield on Sunday. Making an instant impact after his introduction , Sammon was fouled for the second penalty by Cork keeper Mark McNulty, resulting in the City number one seeing red, and also scored the third goal in the 93rd minute.
It was nothing less than a full-blooded contest with wild tackles from both sides; a typical Dubs versus Rebels encounter.
City opened the scoring on the 23rd minute. Denis Behan played a perfect through ball to Shane Long and the 17 year-old showed great skill to turn the defender and bury the ball past the keeper.
The Rebel's lead lasted only four minutes, however. Brian Gannon broke down the wing skipping inside the defence creating all sorts of problems for Cork. City's midfielder Ossy Lopes ran back to cover but just slid in and took the legs off Gannon, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. The Students' captain held his nerve to equalise.
Then just before the break things started to get heated. First of all a bad tackle on Gannon was ignored by the ref, and then seconds later UCD's Stephen Hurley dived in on long resultoing in a free-for-all brawl involving most of the players and management teams. The referee was losing control of the game and the best thing he could have done was blow for half time. Hurley's challenge was wreckless and he was lucky to be given only a yellow card.
The unlucky paty was definitely Shane Long who was sent for an x-ray with the worry of a possible broken leg.
Twenty five minutes into the fractious second half College were in front again. Conor Sammon was taken down by City's McNulty who was duly sent off. Gannon stepped up to put away his second penalty placing it past the replacement keeper, winger Stephen O'Flynn.
Ten Men City had a lot of the possession but found it hard to break down the back four.
They got their break ten minutes from the end. A well deserved equaliser came from a deflected free by Behan slipping inside the near post.
At that stage Cork looked like they could go on and win it, but Conor Sammon had other ideas. With seconds remaining, Derek Doyle sprinted down the wing before pulling the ball back to an unmarked Sammon. The sub hit it past the helpless O'Flynn and the title went to the College.
UCD's gaffer Dave Mackey said:" All these lads are on scholarships and their chance to make it big will come. You'll hear a lot more about players like Paul Byrne and Brian Gannon," he added.
"We're really disappointed, we played all the football but just gave away three sloppy goals," said City manager Stuart Ashton in disbelief.
"We were the only team that looked like winning but I have to say the referee was a joke, totally shocking, too one-sided. You never guess he was from Dublin."
UCD:- Neil Gallagher; Brian Gannon, Aaron McEneff, Brian Shorthall, Liam Tiernan, Kieran Harte, Derek Doyle, Stephen Hurley, Darren O'Brien, Paul Byrne, John Brophy,Conor Sammon, Seamus Long, Ryan Coyle, Sean Geoghegan, Stephen Cashin, Tadgh Purcell
CORK CITY: Mark McNulty; Richie Aherne, Ken Kiely, Shane Guthrie, Ray Lally, Aidan Murray, Kevin Murray, Oswald Lopes, Jamie Nolan, Denis Behan, Shane Long, David Freyne,
Stephen O'Flynn, Sean O'Sullivan, Colin O'Shea, David O'Sullivan, Admir Softic
