A brace each from John Brophy and substitute Timmy Purcell secured a comprehensive 4-0 victory for UCD today against a sluggish Kildare County. UCD were the dominant the team throughout the game and were well worth the margin of victory.
UCD’s team was mainly comprised of U-21 players, with a few members of the first team squad included to give the side a bit of experience.
Kildare had the first chance of the game inside the first minute when striker Padraic Amond received a through ball, but shot tamely at Matt Gregg when he had the goal at his mercy.
UCD began to control the game from then on and had a number of chances to open the scoring inside the opening twenty minutes. Bogdan won the ball in the air and received the ball back from John Brophy but his shot was weak and was easily saved by John Flynn. Bogdan was involved again, shrugging off a defender with ease. However his shot was blocked by Philip Byrne in the Kildare defence. On twenty minutes Bogdan received the ball on the left wing, dribbled through two Kildare defenders and sent in a low, hard cross which John Brophy got on the end of. His shot was blocked but he really should have scored.
However he redeemed himself a minute later when he opened the deadlock. Kildare failed to clear the ball to safety and Killian Gallagher delivered a teasing cross. Brophy rose highest and his header from the edge of the area looped over the Kildare keeper into the back of the net.
UCD almost extended their lead right from the re-start. Kildare gave the ball away cheaply in midfield and Brian King played a lovely through ball for Darren Forsyth to chase. Forsyth took the ball around the goalkeeper but Flynn recoverd well to snatch the ball from him just as he was about to pull the trigger.
UCD had further chances to extend their lead but Bogdan and Forsyth shot narrowly over from just outside the box.
Kildare did have chances of their own in the first half and were unlucky not to have equalised. The ball was floated into the box from a free around the half way on the left; the ball fell to Padraic Amond but Gregg pulled off a good save to keep UCD’s lead intact. On the forty minute mark Paul Rigney was one-on-one with Gregg after good work by Philip Gorman on the left, but his first touch was poor and the ball went out for a goal kick.
UCD again could have extended their lead. Both King and McDonnell missed the target with headers after good deliveries from Gallagher on the left.
However UCD finally extended their lead on the stroke of half-time. Bogdan did well to win the ball on the left wing, played a neat one-two with Darren Forsyth, sent in a low cross to the far post where John Brophy exquisitely finished with left footed drive into the top corner for his second goal of the game.
UCD started the second half the same way they finished the first. Bogdan crossed the ball to the far post where John Brophy-with a hat-trick probably on his mind- shot straight at the keeper, when squaring the ball would have been the better option.
After fifty minutes UCD won a penalty. Timmy Purcell was tripped as he was bearing down on goal. He took the penalty himselft and calmly sent the keeper the wrong way to inflict further misery on Kildare.
The remainder of the second half was a lot quieter than the first, with the game losing the flow it had due to numerous substitutions made by both sides. Bogdan was still still lively as ever on the left wing and on the hour mark he forced a save out of Flynn after good play on the wing.
Chances for both sides were few and far between. Padraig O’Laoi shot wide from ten yards when he really should have scored. This was sandwiched between two opportunities Kieran Harte had to score. First he blazed over from twenty yards. His second chance was closer; his free kick from twenty-five yards going narrowly over the bar.
UCD put the icing on the cake in stoppage time. A corner on the right taken by Greg Bolger was flicked on by Eoin Ó’Cinnéide and Timmy Purcell was on hand to volley home at the far post.
The performance will leave Pete Mahon in good spirit, with Brophy and Forsyth showing a good understanding upfront and Bogdan impressed on the left wing. UCD seem to be finding form at just the right time, with this result and yesterday's 3-0 victory over Athlone promising signs for the upcoming season.
UCD- Gregg (Brennan 86), Mahon, McDonnell (c), Last, Gallagher, O’Sullivan (Bolger 46), King (Ó’Cinnéide 68), Weir (Harte 46), Bogdan, Forsyth (Purcell 46), Brophy (O’Donnell 77)
