A controversial late Alan Mahon penalty earned UCD a point in an exciting game in the UCD Bowl tonight, but boss Pete Mahon will be wondering how his charges failed to take all three points in a game they largely dominated. After passing up a plethora of chances in the first half in particular, the Students somehow found themselves behind with ten minutes to go before Mahon at least earned a point with his second league goal for the club.
With injury worries abating, Mahon could choose from pretty much a full strength team, with Matt Gregg, Ian Bermingham, Conor Kenna and Ronan Finn all welcomed back. The only surprise in the team selection was the dropping of Paul Byrne, without a goal since the last meeting of these two teams back in March.
Bray started marginally the stronger; Alan Cawley had a free well over from a dangerous area, while Derek Pender had a goal ruled out for offside within the opening ten minutes. However, UCD came back into the game, and had the upper hand for the rest of the half. Their first chance came on ten minutes when Pat McWalter was set free down the left, but his pull back was blocked for a corner with Timmy Purcell and Shane Fitzgerald lurking free in the middle. On 23 minutes, Ronan Finn was allowed space to turn with the ball in the box, and his shot flashed agonisingly across the face of goal, before Timmy Purcell had a shot well tipped over the bar by veteran Alan Gough and Shane Fitzgerald pounced on a loose pass to burst into the box, only to be denied by a fine tackle.
The chances kept coming for the home side - Conor Kenna was denied by Alan Gough at the far post from a corner, and from the resulting corner, Kenna slapped a shot into the face of a Bray defender. On 34 minutes, Timmy Purcell beat Gough to a through ball, but was forced wide with no-one in the middle; ultimately, he found Derek Doyle in the box, but the retreating Bray defence had had enough time to cover and clear.
Certainly, it was no surprise when UCD took the lead a couple of minutes later. For all the chances they'd created from play, it was a set piece which finally pierced the Bray rearguard - Ian Bermingha, swung it in, and Pat McWalter was on hand to power home a fine header.
The goal stung Bray into action, and only defensive heroics prevented an immediate equaliser. First Matt Gregg made a stunning save from Ger Rowe before Alan McNally somehow deflected the rebound over the bar with his keeper still on the ground. Three minutes later, Pat Kavanagh curled home for Bray, but the flag had long gnoe up for offside before the chance of the half fell to Timmy Purcell - set up by Derek Doyle, Purcell somehow side footed wide of goal from six yards out.
Within two minutes of the restart, Purcell was again in the thick of things, controlling a goal kick in the Bray area before turning and firing inches wide. There was, though, a nasty feeling that all these misses would come back to haunt UCD and, with the Students less dominant than the first half, Bray duly equalised on 62 with their first attack of the half. Sub Onwubiko, only on the pitch two minutes, hassled Conor Kenna into conceding a corner; the set piece was delievered deep to the back post, where Derek Foran was on hand to blast home.
UCD nearly retook the lead in bizarre circumstances three minutes later - an awful back header went past Alan Gough, with Timmy Purcell just keeping it from going out for a corner; he laid the ball back for Shane Fitzgerald, whose shot was blocked with Gough scrambling for position.
UCD's momentum had gone, though, and Bray took the lead with their next chance on 76; again, it came from a corner, with Gavin Whelan taking advantage of remarkably slack UCD defending to glance home a near post header completely unopposed.
The Students were shell shocked, although it is to their credit that they continued to battle, and a loud call for a penalty went up when Shane Fitzgerald went to ground in the box. The referee ignored it initially, but when his linesman flagged, he pointed to the spot, booking a Bray player for protesting. Alan Mahon took responsibility for the kick, and drilled it into the bottom corner, sending Gough the wrong way.
Having targeted six points from this week's games against Bray and Harps, Pete Mahon will definitely view this as two points dropped. On the plus side, UCD seem finally to be getting used to the UCD Bowl surface, with this the first game since the opening day where their usual confident passing game was evident for long spells. The hope will be his charges can keep this up on Friday, with hopefully a bit mroe luck in front of goal.
UCD - Gregg; Mahon (Harding 87), Bermingham, Kenna, McNally; King, Finn (McMillan 75), Doyle (Byrne 75), Fitzgerald; McWalter, Purcell. Subs not used - Brennan, Reilly
Att - 320
