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Rovers and Cobh away. Cobh just beat Rovers too. Anything less than two points and we're going to get cut off. Hopefully on a proper pitch, we'll be able to play to our potential. But with Rovers looking to bounce back, and Cobh on a high, last night's result was a very bad one for us.
I reckon we're going to lose them both. I really hope I'm wrong but I feel we're going to find it hard down in Cobh with them finding a bit of form.
I think we can get a draw against Rovers but having a feeling they will edge it. Likewise with Cobh. To have any winning chances we have to bring McNally back into defence as we can't afford to concede goals considering how poor we are going forward.
Its still early enough that poor final results at the moment can be rectified later in the season, but not too late as our run-in is tough.
I'd like our performance to continue to rise. Continue to score goals would be nice, as out-scoring against your rivals is a pleasant way to get out of bother.
My concern is if we are bringing palyers back from injury before their time. It was a standard of UCD teams in the past and it's always something I watch out for.
Two unbeaten games and the jury is still out on all three sides involved. But I think a mid-table performance at the moment is two away wins by UCD. We have to get our points from elsewhere at the moment (away) aswell.
From ucdsoccer.com:
From Setanta Sports:Quote:
Students at full strength for Rovers tie
UCD will be at full strength for the first time since August when they take on Shamrock Rovers in the eircom League Premier Division on Friday night.
Both Derek Doyle and Ian Bermingham have recovered from injuries and both are expected to feature for the Students on Friday. The good news on the injury front will be a boon to UCD who suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Drogheda last week.
"Defensively we were very poor and very much exposed. You can't commit those kind of errors against a team like Drogheda," said UCD manager Pete Mahon. Mahon said he expects a better performance this week and is confident his charges can take the points away to Rovers.
"I'm expecting to win. I see no reason why we shouldn't and it's about time we beat Rovers," he said.
The one positive for UCD from the defeat last week was that defender Alan Mahon finally broke his scoring duck for the College. It took Mahon 241 appearances to get on the mark in the league (he did score against non-league Rockmount in the Cup in 1998) and he did so by scoring off the rebound of a penalty, having seen his initial effort from the spot saved. UCD manager Pete Mahon said the defender was keen to score at the first attempt next time out. "He worked hard at penalty taking last [Wednesday] night. After that attempt last week we all saw why it took 9 or 10 years from him to score."
For Shamrock Rovers, Aiden Price and Pádraig Amond are back training but are unlikely to feature for the first team yet. Barring a couple of other small injuries which are expected to clear, Rovers expect to have a full squad.
Referee - Damien Hancock
McNally surely has to start tonight. I would be surprised if we keep a clean sheet tonight without him. Also need a much improved performance from our strikers to have any chance of winning the game.Quote:
UCD boss Pete Mahon insists his team need to keep working hard and fighting for points if they are to climb away from the drop zone.
The 60-year-old manager is fully aware of the fate that could face his side if they continue to stutter in games that they should be closing out, especially at home.
The Students have taken four points from their six league games thus far, and really need to get on a winning run if they are to reach the top half of the Premier Division table.
"Team spirit is good but I'm afraid the defeats could drain the players," Mahon told the Irish Mirror.
"So it's up to me as manager to keep them going. We try to play open football, but we're just lacking a cutting edge.
"We've played three home games and got one point and being realistic, that's not great.
"So we have to start winning our home games, but to be honest any kind of win will do."
Wonder was he injured last week? But I never understood the idea of an injured player being on the bench - either he's injured or not.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
I'd go with -
Gregg
Mahon
Bermingham
Kenna
McNally
Fitz
King
Finn
Doyle
Timmy
Paul Byrne
We need a strong performance tonight as that's pretty much our strongest XI, so if it can't get anywhere, we're screwed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
There's a pretty absolutist sentiment in your post. Maybe Pete Mahon doesn't have such a Black and White perception of football. bringing back players too early is a concern though.
If the principal players get to play, then we will get better over time, not just a succeed or fail on the basis of one match.
I'd agree with pineapple's team but that team line up's been available all year (with Bermingham and Doyle replaced by Gallagher and McWalter, to little effect tactically) and Pete's consistantly started Shortall at centre back. I can only assume that that's to have McNally as a defensive player in midfield and I don't think he'll change that for this week.
I was climbing a hill last week. I started at the bottom, stayed there a bit, and then suddenly was at the top.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
He wasn't reported as being injured in the preview and he had either the previous week/week before so I presume he was fit. Madness to start Shorthall ahead of him if he was fit.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Doyle isn't near ready yet. Give him 20 minutes at the end to ease him back. He won't be 100% for at least 4/6 weeks.
But he changed it last week...Quote:
Originally Posted by Schumi
If you mean as an option from the bench then all that you'd have to do is push McNally into CM and bring on Shorthall as a sub.
By dropping McNally, Shortall still started. Whatever the reason for changing things, it wasn't because of a lack of confidence in Shortall.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
Don't mean to sound so blunt, but hopefully that will have changed after last week.Quote:
Originally Posted by Schumi
You're mixing up being injured and lacking match fitness.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
Doyle wasn't injured last week, but didn't start and played the last twenty minutes because he was lacking match fitness.
Allie Mac clearly wasn't lacking match fitness (he's played all season), but if he was injured, he wouldn't have been on the bench to come on and play the last twenty minutes.
Maybe he was late and our squad is that short we couldn't drop him entirely?
Maybe he had a cold.
And didn't know if the ground was open or not?
Of all the cures for a cold in the world, I'd say the absolute worst is to go and sit in the dugouts in the Bowl on a cold, windswept night.
Secnod worst is cutting your own nose off.
Our options are limited this season. Anything that gives us a slight advantage over are rivals is welcome.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
I know. That's the Grand Old Duke of York technique. The away game in Cobh becomes more and more vital.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
Two points dropped tonight, most definitely. Excellent goal from Doyle; excellent performance overall (except Byrne's two open goals missed...). Good performance, albeit against a very poor Rovers side.
The Bowl pitch will be our undoing this season, if anything will.
Pádraig Amond's late goal denied UCD a second away win of the season in an at times pulsating encounter in Tolka Park on Friday night. Pete Mahon will wonder how his team didn't com away with the win however, as Paul Byrne missed two open goals and had another header cleared off the line. At the other end, however, Matt Gregg pulled off a superb penalty save as the game ebbed and flowed.
For the first time this season, UCD had a full team to choose from, and several changes were duly made from the side which went down so easily to Drogheda last week. Ian Bermingham and Alan McNally replaced Killian Gallagher and Brian Shortall, while Derek Doyle came in for his first start since breaking his leg in September, replacing Timmy Purcell in a line up which saw Shane Fitzgerald moved up front alongside Paul Byrne. After half an hour, UCD were forced into another chagne when Alan Mahon, suffering with a stomach bug, had to be replaced by Shortall. Rovers were dealt a blow in the warm up when keeper Barry Murphy was injured and former UCD netminder Karl Coleman was given his debut.
By this time, the Students were 1-0 up. Fitzgerald, who already was giving the Rovers defence a torrid time, was brought down on the corner of the box, and Derek Doyle's thumping free kick flew past a static Coleman into the far corner of the net.
Both sides had had chances before that - Coleman somehow nearly dropped a straightforward Paul Byrne header over the line, while Sean O'Connor rifled in a shot narrowly wide for Rovers after some nice build up play. But after the goal, it was all Rovers. The Hoops nearly replied instantly when a scramble in the UCD box eventually saw a shot deflected over the bar by another Rovers player. A couple of minutes later, Dessie Baker was allowed to run from deep but his shot was wide, before Matt Gregg flapped at a cross only for his defence to come to his rescue and John Martin had a 25-yarder curl inches wide.
All in all, UCD were probably happy enough to get to half time with their lead intact, but they came out all guns blazing in the second half. Within a minute of the restart, Paul Byrne had a header cleared off the line after a corner, while there was controversy on 52 when Coleman appeared to catch the ball outside the area with Fitzgerald again bearing down but the UCD winger's appeals were in vain; had the free been given, Coleman would have had to have been sent off, giving the game a much different complexion.
At this stage, the game was settling into one of UCD's standard 1-0 away wins against one of the top sides - excellent defending in numbers followed by lightening counter attacks. Rovers' frustration told as their booking count increased steadily, with four players were booked in all, plus UCD's Brian King - outstanding all night - after he got into a bout of handbags having been fouled from behind.
It was UCD who were creating the majority of the chances on the counter - Paul Byrne headed over on 68 from an excellent Derek Doyle free, and he then somehow hit the post from five yards out after Shane Fitzgerald, freed by a nice pass from substitute Timmy Purcell, yet again caused consternation and sent a lovely ball right across the six yard box.
With blue shirts throwing themselves in to block at every stage in defence, it looked like UCD would hold on for the points. But on 82 minutes, Ian Bermingham was adjudged to have brought down Dessie Baker and, for the third game in a row, UCD's left back conceded a penalty. It was a very similar transgression to the previous two, although this time, Matt Gregg pulled off a superb one handed save to his left from Tadhg Purcell, and Conor Kenna put in a magnificent tackle to get the rebound away for a corner.
That looked like it would seal the points, but Rovers struck with three minutes to go. Padraig Amond, on the pitch not five minutes, ran on to Baker's through ball to slot home past Matt Gregg into the far corner.
There was plenty of incident left in the game, though. Amond had replaced defender Darren Stapleton as Pat Scully chased on equaliser, but now UCD found acres of space, particularly at left back. Yet again, Shane Fitzgerald was at the heart of everything UCD created - first he found space in the box only for his pull back to be sliced wide of an open goal from six yards by Paul Byrne, and then having a penalty claim waved away after being tackled from behind in the box.
Ultimately, though, Amond had earned a share of the spoils for Rovers. It's yet another game where UCD will feel they deserved one result short of that they earned, but with the bottom six, by and large, showing no signs of spreading out, things are still looking positive for the Students. What is needed, however, is to start getting the results which have been earned.
UCD - Gregg; Mahon (Shorthall, 36 mins), Kenna (c), McNally, Bermingham; McWalter, King, Finn, Doyle (Timmy Purcell, 74); Byrne, Fitzgerald. Subs not used - Brennan, Gallagher, Forsyth
Att - 1062
Penalty save -