U-21s in final

UCD beat a very poor Galway side 2-0 in Belfield Park today. Moran and Purcell scored. Timmy could also afford to miss a penalty, when the Galway keeper wasn't sent off for some inexplicable reason. Coasted through to full time (both goals and the penalty were in the first half).

Final is on Thursday against St Pat's, who beat Drogheda on penalties. It is the last last game in Belfield (not like the previous "last games" in Belfield). 7:45pm kick off, I assume, with probably E5 or E10 admission at the gate for this one.

Very comfortable victory. Galway were absolutely useless, didn't even have a shot on target all game. None of their players playing today are anywhere near capable of stepping up to first team football based on that display. A number of nasty two footed challenges by them as well, from behind too. Came here to try and kick us off the pitch.

Our team was:

GK Billy Brennan
RB Stanley Rojack
CB Evan McMillan
CB Patrick Mullins
LB Sean Byrne
RM Timmy Purcell
CM Anthony Doyle
CM Brian King
LM Killian Gallagher
ST Fran Moran
ST Darren Forsyth

SUBS: Declan O'Donnell, David Last, Michael Kelly*, Greg Bolger, James O'Sullivan, Ger O'Callaghan, Paul Byrne.

*not Ronan Finn as I had thought originally.:D

We played very well for the first 30 mins then took the foot off the pedal. Everyone from 1-11 had a decent enough game, with McMillan and Doyle standing out from the rest. McMillan organises the defence very well and has no real weaknesses. Bold prediction but he will turn out to be a better player than our two current centre backs.

Doyle controlled the midfield. Seems to be Gary Dicker and Ronan Finn rolled into one. Next season will a big one for him. At one stage in the first half he got past three Galway players with a 360 turn reminiscent of Dicker, then made a surging run through a gap in the midfield and played a brilliant through ball which Moran got on the end of. Keeper blatantlytook him out and a penalty was awarded (and sent wide) but inexplicably the keeper got no card, not even a yellow.

Gally on the left wing? Interesting.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Gally on the left wing? Interesting.

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Had a good game, got down the byline well. Looked like a natural wide player- was very unlucky not to have scored. What's more interesting in my mind is that he is keeping last season's left winger, Ger O'Callaghan, on the bench, who performed very well last year.

keeper was given a yellow in the penalty situation! think the ref thought best not to send them off as it would have ended the game as a contest particularly if timmy had scored it.

Looked like the knocks picked up last weekend didn't affect the lads too badly. Hopefully they win on Thursday. I expect it will be a 7:45 kick off. It would be really nice to end the season with a trophy in the cabinet. So come on the lads!

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Originally Posted by U-C-D

keeper was given a yellow in the penalty situation! think the ref thought best not to send them off as it would have ended the game as a contest particularly if timmy had scored it.

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Hate that. If it's a red, it's a red. The ref isn't ending the game as a contest; the player is.

In fairness Fran went down like a tonne of bricks. It was definitely a penalty but he'd pushed the ball pretty wide and I'm not sure fran would have got to it againwihtout being tackled.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Hate that. If it's a red, it's a red. The ref isn't ending the game as a contest; the player is.

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Ideally it should be as you outlined it. But in recent experience if it is not a clear goalscoring opportunity , then lately I have seen refs only yellow carding the keeper. Besides it would have given the GUFC contingent something to moan about. The Under 21's beat theirs fair and square 11 v 11 for 90 minutes.:D

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Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

But in recent experience if it is not a clear goalscoring opportunity , then lately I have seen refs only yellow carding the keeper.

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That's the rule isn't it? A red card if a player is fouled preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity and not otherwise (assuming the foul wasn't worthy of a red due to its violence).

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Originally Posted by JR_Ewing

It was definitely a penalty but he'd pushed the ball pretty wide and I'm not sure fran would have got to it againwihtout being tackled.

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I was pretty close to it and was certain that he would have reached it. He was only just inside the box when he was fouled so the angle wouldn't have been all that narrow.

I forgot to do a report for this. Will have it up sometime tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

I forgot to do a report for this. Will have it up sometime tomorrow.

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Tut tut you just can't get decent help these days :p

21s reach league final

UCD's U-21s have reached their third league final in four years after a comfortable 2-0 win over a poor Galway United side in Belfield Park this afternoon. Fran Moran and Timmy Purcell scored first half goals, and Purcell could even afford a missed penalty as UCD cruised through to a showdown against St Pat's in Belfield on Thursday night.

Paul Somers made two changes to the side which defeated Shamrock Rovers in last week's quarter-final. Brian King replaced Paul Murphy in centre midfield and Fran Moran got the nod ahead of Paul Byrne, who had played 90 minutes last night for the senior team.

UCD began the game with an attacking intent and caused Galway problems right from the start. After a number of missed chances UCD took a deserved lead after 18 minutes. Timmy Purcell and Fran Moran combined well down the right and the latter opened the scoring with a well placed effort from the edge of the area.

Galway were finding it very difficult to get hold of any possession at all- a stronger and fitter UCD side were first to every loose ball. The home side continued their relentless assualt on the visitors' goal but often lacked the killer instinct required to extend the lead.

However on the half hour mark their lead was doubled. Anthony Doyle, who was controlling the game from midfield, released Killian Gallagher on the left. The winger beat the opposing full back and crossed from the byline. Darren Forsyth got in front of his marker but his shot was blocked at point blank range by the goalkeeper. The loose ball fell to Purcell, who made no mistake putting the ball away from 12 yards out.

Just minutes later UCD were awarded a penalty. Doyle was again the architect, this time escaping the attention of three Galway midfielders with great trickery, and played a majestic through ball to Moran. The striker rounded the keeper and with him seeming set to put the game beyond doubt was brought down cynically by the goalkeeper, who bizarrely only received a yellow card. Purcell stepped up but sent the ball narrowly wide of the goal.

The second half was a much quieter afair, with UCD content to slow down the tempo with a place in Thursday's final seemingly wrapped up. This allowed Galway to get into the game, but despite a few goal-mount scrambles failed to register a shot on target. Gallagher had the best chance for UCD in a second half which was devoid of clear-cut chances. The winger played a one-two with Fran Moran but sent the ball wide after getting in behind the defence.

The Students have now reached their third final in four seasons and go into Thursday's final against St Patrick's Athletics as favourites to add yet another Dr Tony O'Neill U-21 League trophy to their collection.

UCD: Brennan; Rojack, Mullins, McMillan, S. Byrne; Purcell (Bolger '90), Doyle, King, Gallagher (O'Callaghan); Moran, Forsyth (P. Byrne '90).
Subs not used: O'Donnell, Last, Kelly, O'Sullivan.

Bookings: Purcell.

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Originally Posted by U-C-D

keeper was given a yellow in the penalty situation! think the ref thought best not to send them off as it would have ended the game as a contest particularly if timmy had scored it.

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Must have missed that when I was texting around updates!:) Sounds like a plausible reason, albeit stupid if that was the ref's thinking.