"The biggest massacre in the Carlisle Grounds since they filmed the Michael Collins film."
The biggest surprise wasn't that it was a non-GAA fan who paraphrased the legendary GAA commentary, but that it wasn't far off true. UCD proved far too strong for an admittedly understrength Bray team and took a deserved three points from the pre-season favourites for the title.
College started strongly and Bray were on the back foot for much of the opening twenty minutes, during which period a Hugh Davey cross landed on the roof of the net, College forced three or four corners and generally seemed able to get in behind the Bray defence at will. The period culminated in Willie Doyle finding the net from close range after a Micko mis-hit, but he was ruled offside, a marginal decision at best.
Having weathered the storm, though, Bray came back into the game and were well in it for the remainder of the half, and had one of the best chances of the half when Kevin Grogan, making his first first-team appearance since playing for UCD three seasons ago, thumped a free-kick against the crossbar with Neil Gallagher nowhere. Grogan was one of Bray's best performers on the night, and was at the heart of most of Bray's attacks.
The worry for UCD fans, though, was that the team still hadn't got enough in front of goal to kill off matches. With Bray's defence looking very shaky at times, UCD had more than their share of chances, but Robbie Martin hit the post after holding off his marker to get to a through ball, with Willie Doyle's rebound being blocked away, a Bray defender appeared to handle in the box under pressure from Martin only for the linesman to flag and give a free out while Willie Doyle appeared to be professionally fouled while running into the box - a free kick was given, but no card issued to the defender.
The inevitable breakthrough came on 70 minutes though, and it was a result of another lapse in the Bray defence. Tony McDonnell pounced on a slip by Jody Lynch, ran on and threaded a ball through for Willie Doyle, unmarked in the area, to slot home for a debut goal, the first UCD player to score on his debut since his namesake, the ever-popular Robbie. And number two came five minutes later when a Hugh Davey free into the box wasn't properly dealt with, and Robbie Martin was on hand to get a touch and the ball trickled over the line.
Bray kept coming forward looking for a way back into the match, but, one slip from Neil Gallagher aside, the College defence stood firm and UCD might well have had the final say in injry time when substitute Brian Gannon picked the ball up on the half-way line out by the right touchline, went past one player, nutmegged a second, rounded a third and broke into the box only for the keeper to save at his feet on the edge of the six-yard box. Had Gannon squared to Willie Doyle, it would have been 3-0, but you couldn't blame him for wanting to round off what would have been a spectacular solo effort!
And there was still time for Gannon to be involved in a clash with the Bray number 3 when going to retrieve the ball to take a quick throw-in, and also to be booked for blocking another throw from the same Bray player.
But all in all, a result which will delight the UCD players and fans, and which sets us up nicely for the top-of-the-table clash against Athlone in Belfield next week.
UCD - Gallagher; Sullivan, Davey, McAuley, McNally; McDonnell, McWalter, Finn, O'Donnell; Doyle (Gannon 88), Martin. Subs not used: Quigley, Kenna, Foley, Purcell
