UCD gained an encouraging 1-1 draw in a friendly against English Third Division side Stockport County in Belfield Park tonight. Against a side expected to challenge for honours in the division in the coming season, albeit one who were playing their first pre-season friendly of the season, the Students acquitted themselves well and, after a shaky opening, fought back well and were ultimately well worth the draw.
UCD started with a mix of first team and reserve players, with Fran Moran and Timmy Purcell forming an inexperienced front pairing, and Brian King coming in in centre mid and Darren Quigley - on trial with Stockport earlier in the season - in nets. Pat McWalter made a first start in almost nine months after recovering from a cruciate knee injury.
Stockport had the first chance, with Anthony Elding somehow heading down into the ground and over the bar from a mere four yards out. But UCD came back, and should have had the lead themselves when Ronan Finn broke into the box; his angled drive came off the bar, and McWalter somehow only hit the post on the rebound with the net gaping. Two minutes later, Brian King was denied by a superb tackle, and McWalter blasted the loose ball over the top.
Midway through the half, however, Stockport took the lead when Liam Dickinson was played in; he rounded Quigley, who had come out the the edge of the area, and slotted home.
UCD made five subs at half time, and one of those - Conor Sammon - equalised just past the hour when he ghosted past two County defenders on a run into the box before being bundled over. It was a soft penalty award, but Sammon picked himself up and made no mistake with the kick.
Minutes later, it could have been 2-1 to the home side, when Darren Forsyth cracked a shot off the underside of the bar from 25 yards; Sammon's follow-up header was weak, but the ball squirmed under former St Pat's keeper Chris Adamson and was only just retrieved before it trickled over the line.
As the subs kept coming - including a County debut for Gary Dicker, despite earlier reports of an injury likely to keep him out of the game - the game petered out a bit, with County having the two best chances, forcing half-time sub Matt Gregg into superb saves each time; first with a full length save to touch wide a flicked header, and then with another save to parry away a Greg Tansey free kick. In between, Conan Byrne beat Chris Adamson to a through ball, but his lob from the edge of the area was headed off the line.
Overall, though, the draw was a fair result between two evenly matched teams in a game played, by and large, in a good spirit, and the Students will take encouragement from the result after three defeats in their last four league games.
UCD - Quigley (Gregg h/t); Mahon, Kenna (Gallagher 68), McNally, McDonnell (Shortall h/t); King (Bolger 60), C Byrne, McWalter (Weir h/t), Finn (O'Sullivan 60); Purcell (Sammon h/t), Moran (Forsyth h/t)
