Another frustrating performance in Belfield Park on Friday night saw UCD's winless streak extend to five games - with no goals in the last three - as they failed to take the three points from a Shamrock Rovers side who were probably the poorest side to visit this season (allowing for the fact that we've played Harps, Bray and Longford away). Overall, UCD were the better side, though Rovers came much more into the game in the second half and both sides had late chances to win.
There was one change from the game in Longford - Stephen Hurley came in at right mid, replacing Damien Dupuy with Pat McWalter moved up front. However, not ten minutes into the game, UCD were forced into a reshuffle as Aidan Lynch came off injured, to be replaced by Brian Shortall, with Conor Kenna moving out to right mid. Any worries that this would be exploited by Pat McCourt were assuaged when Rovers' top scorer was himself withdrawn in the first half, replaced by Mooney.
UCD started brightly, and Robbie Martin in particular was a threat down the left wing. A couple of decent crosses were all that resulted however, with no-one in the penalty area to follow up. The best chance saw Pat McWalter stretching but just failing to make contact with a cross put in across the six yard box. However, UCD failed to take advantage of the start and neither side really created a chance of note in the first half.
Rovers posed more of a threat in the second half, but Darren Quigley in the UCD goal was scarcely troubled throughout the match. His opposite number had a busier time of it, though he too was scarcely stretched. Substitute Damien Dupuy looked most likely to cut open the Rovers defence, twice playing through Pat McWalter - once, the Rovers keeper had to be smartly off his line to collect at McWalter's feet, and once McWalter's lob drifted just the wrong side of the post.
Apart from these occasional chances, however, the game was drifting to a draw from a good way out. Defeat would have been disastrous, but the draw does still leave College - slow starters traditionally - seven points clear of Rovers. However, with six goals from 11 games, there's a real need to start putting away chances - or, as in the last two games, creating chances - to get up to mid-table safety.
UCD - Quigley; Lynch (Shortall 8), O'Donnell, Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, Hurley, Dicker, Martin; McWalter (Adrian Murphy 75), Byrne (Dupuy 60). Subs not used - Doyle, Gallagher.
Att - c 1100
