UCD's run without a goal from open play stretched to five games as they went down by a single goal to Shamrock Rovers in Dalymount Park this evening. Stephen Hurley's goal against St Pat's was the last time UCD scored excluding penalties, and the subsequent run of three points from five games has UCD looking over their shoulders again.
With Conor Kenna injured, Brian Shortall came in at number 4, while Willie Doyle was replaced on the bench by Anto Murphy.
The first half was poor, with really only two chances worth talking about. Trevor Molloy had Rovers' effort - Darren Quigley parried his close range effort and College were fortunate that Molloy had his head in his hands ruing his miss, otherwise he would surely have followed up to open the scoring instead of allowing Mick O'Donnell to clear. At the other end, Gary Dicker had a shot from the corner of the area well parried away by Rovers' keeper Barry Murphy. Murphy had coped well with whatever UCD had crossed into the box, although he was called into action all too rarely as UCD's crosses often went horribly askew.
At half-time, the game badly needed a goal, and it got one jsut four minutes into the second half - Tony Sheridan swung in a corner which Jason McGuinness met with a perfect glancing header to direct the ball away from Quigley and into the top corner.
The game opened up from then, with UCD pressing at every opportunity and Rovers content to break with speed when they could. Within a few minutes of Rovers' goal, Pat McWalter wriggled through the Rovers defence, but his shot was straight at the keeper, and the rebound was blocked away. Within the next couple of minutes, Martin and McWalter both narrowly missed the target with headers.
Rovers, however, had plenty of dangerous oppurtunites themselves - with 20 minutes remaining, a shot from the left was dragged inches wide, while five minutes later, Trevor Molloy somehow headed wide from six yards out. Shortly afterwards, Darren Quigley failed to connect properly with a punch clear - Rovers nearly took advantage to turn home the loose ball, but instead, the UCD defence were able to clear and set Robbie Martin away; with Brian Gannon in acres of space on the right, Martin overlooked two opportunities to set the sub up and ended up shooting straight at Murphy. Martin had a couple of other chances from distance, although the game's final chance came when Shamrock Rovers broke and found themselves with two on two - Kieran Foley, signed from UCD in July and playing up front, was teed up but shot wide with only the keeper to beat.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, McEniff (Murphy 80), Shortall, McNally; McDonnell, Hurley (Gannon 55), Dicker, O'Donnell (C Byrne 60); Martin, McWalter. Subs not used - Dupuy, Gallagher
Att - 1048
