Shels recorded their first win over UCD in five games tonight after coming out on top in an entertaining clash in Tolka Park tonight. Shelbourne were the better side for much of the game, but UCD will feel a small bit agrieved after equalising twice before finally losing out to a very soft penalty award.
UCD made two enforced changes from the team which beat Longford in midweek - as expected, Damien Dupuy and Aaron McEniff replaced the injured Robbie Martin and Alan McNally. A makeshift defence therefore saw three of the first-choice back four missing. On the up side, however, Paul Byrne was involved in the warm up and may now be only a couple of weeks away from returning from injury. Neil Gallagher, Willie Doyle, Damien Kelly, Derek Doyle and Kieran Harte made up a relatively inexperienced bench.
Shels started very much on the offensive, and within three minutes, Darren Quigley had to tip a header over the bar while Glen Crowe and Jason Byrne both had good chances. It came as no surprise, then, when Jason Byrne opened the scoring after just 12 minutes - he ran onto a flicked long ball to drill home emphatically past Quigley from the edge of the area.
It did come as a surprise, however, when UCD equalised just two minutes later. Brian Gannon made a surging run forward, which was halted a few yards from the right corner of the Shels box. Stephen Hurley swung in the free-kick, and Anto Murphy was on hand to head home.
Eight minutes later, some calamitous Shels defending gave UCD the chance to take the lead. Bobby Ryan went up for a header on the right touchline only to go flying over a bemused Anto Murphy and get nowhere near the ball - UCD suddenly had a 3-on-3 break, but Murphy's pass was too far ahead of Gannon and Damien Dupuy.
As usual in eL games, there were a couple of curious refereeing decision to amuse and frustrate. Darren Quigley produced a fine save from a close-range Glen Crowe volley only for the ref to award a goal kick, while a minute later, Stephen Hurly was fouled but came away with the ball - after a delay, the referee called play back for a free-kick, much to the irritation of Brian Shortall, who was booked for dissent.
Ten minutes before half-time, it was 2-1 to the hosts. Ollie Cahill created space on the left of the box and sent across a low cross which bisected keeper and defence for Jason Byrne to slam home at the far post. Byrne could have had his hat-trick before half-time, but Quigley parried away his powerful drive from the edge of the area.
Half-time was livened up by a curious half-time game. With the greens - featuring two of Brian Gannon's little brothers - winning 1-0, the entire team bar the keeper got caught upfield as the reds countered with a 7 v. 0 break. Incredibly, the keeper saved the first shot before the reds equalised with the last touch of the game.
Into the second half, and within a minute, UCD were level again. Damien Dupuy was unlucky to see his header come off both bar and post, but Pat McWalter was on hand to tap home the rebound. And a minute later again, a tight offside decision ruled out Glen Crowe's strike, as he got in behind the defence and slotted the ball past Darren Quigley.
On 52 minutes, UCD should have gone 3-2 ahead - an Anto Murphy long throw found two UCD players free at the back post, but Gary Dicker could only head over from no more than four yards out. Shortly after, Alan Reynolds tried his luck from fully 40 yards and was only inches away, although Quigley appeared to have the shot covered. The Irish U-21 keeper was on hand to save his team again on 61 minutes when smothering an angled shot from Glen Crowe, with the Shels fans behind the goal appealing for a handball.
With 18 minutes to go, just as it looked like UCD may well sneak a fourth draw from the last five meetings, Wes Hoolihan broke into the area and went down under what appeared a shoulder challenge. The ref, however, saw the incident as a penalty, and Jason Byrne made no mistake from 12 yards out.
Three minutes later, it could have been all over for UCD as Crowe again got in behind the Students' defence in a near-carbon copy of his offside goal, but this time his shot went inches wide of the far post. However, on 80 minutes, it was all over as Owen Heary rose to loop a header from a free-kick over Quigley and into the top corner.
For UCD, it's now six league games without a win, and with Bray and Rovers both winning tonight, they effectively drop to ninth in the table, adjusting for Rovers' points deduction. Pat's are three points behind with a game in hand, while Waterford are eight points adrift. It is very tempting to concentrate on the two Cups, but the team also need to keep an eye for any surges by Waterford or Harps which would ee us slip into relegation trouble again.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, McEniff, Shortall, McDonnell; Hurley, Gannon, Dicker (Harte 82), McWalter; Murphy (W Doyle 82), Dupuy (D Doyle 82). Subs not used - Gallagher, Kelly
Att - c 950
