Quotenot a great performance, but a good win all the same. good to see the lads up front banging in a few goals. i was watchin the subs at half time and we had no keeper on the bench. I dont know why. Pat burke was on the bench instead
UCD survived a late Athlone comeback to just about hold on to the three points in a match wihch they'd at one stage threatened to walk away with.
The game was less than a minute old when College took the lead, as Willie Doyle scored his second goal for the College in two games with a right-footed strike from the edge of the area (or so I'm told; I was selling programmes at the time.) It was to be by far and away UCD's best goal of the night!
2-0 duly arrived on 23 minutes, when the Athlone keeper spilled a Seán Finn free-kick, and Robbie Martin was on hand to blast home the rebound before celebrating with a Robbie Keane-style somersault.
Athlone rallied and pulled one back through Niall Donnelly. Yes, that's Hopper Donnelly, the lanky fecker who was with us last season! He met a free-kick with a great header which looped over Gallagher in nets and ducked under the bar.
It should have been 3-1 before the break, but Robbie Martin, finding himself clean through with only the keeper to beat, somehow pulled his shot wide for a goal-kick.
UCD never controlled the game in the way they did in Bray the previous week, but on 53 minutes found themselves 3-1 up. An Athlone player played a backpass to the Athlone keeper, who couldn't pick the ball up or, as he had injured his ankle, kick clear, and while he waited for his defence to deal with the ball, Robbie Martin nicked in, rounded everyone and slotted home. The keeper was immediately substituted and taken away in the ambulance, although it appeared to be nothing more serious than some ankle ligament damage.
4-1 arrived with 70 minutes on the clock - the Athlone defence fell asleep and Willie Doyle was allowed time to chest down a cross and, with the Athlone defence calling for an offside, poke home past the Athlone sub keeper, who was booked for his protestations afterwards.
And that appeared to be that as UCD, although not going all out for more goals, appeared comfortable. Then with 5 minutes to go, Adrian Murphy met a low cross at the near post and turned the ball in between Neil Gallagher's legs to give the Town some hope. UCD appeared to lose all composure after that, and conceded another shortly afterwards as the same player found space in the penalty area to blast home. And with the College hanging on, frequently reverting to hoofing the ball clear, the Town nearly got in for an incredible equaliser only for Hugh Davey to make an important clearance after a long ball had beaten two of him teammates.
So UCD held on for an unexpectedly narrow victory. The hope is that Pete Mahon will have given the players a good old-fashioned root up the hole, and that this will be the last time we'll see such a lead frittered away. Either way, it's a good lesson in concentration to learn ahead of next week's big match in Ballybofey. It's also encouraging to see our two forwards on three goals each after two games, given that up front is where our major weakness has been the last couple of seasons!
UCD -
-----------------Gallagher
Sullivan------McNally-------McAuley-------Davey
McWalter----McDonnell------Finn----------O'Donnell
-------------Doyle----------Martin
Subs - Gannon for Doyle (87 mins)
Not used - Quigley, Purcell, Kenna, Foley
not a great performance, but a good win all the same. good to see the lads up front banging in a few goals. i was watchin the subs at half time and we had no keeper on the bench. I dont know why. Pat burke was on the bench instead
Had the joy of being to another electric night of first division football in front of a total crowd of about 200...I'll have to stay clear of UCD games in future (one of the mates was on the bench and came out to see if he might get a run)..... anyway thought yous were pretty good meself,always looked like winning perhaps a late scare but that was the most of it...and fair play to the few fans trying to create some atmosphere.After seeing 2 games I'd have to say UCD have definitely been a step above the rest.Originally Posted by 2COOL
<insert witty remark>
Who's your mate?
Check out my new sports blog http://www.action81.com
Tadgh Purcell hot prospect for the future
<insert witty remark>
It should have been an easy win, we were much better than them but nearly threw it away in the last 10 minutes and looked really nervy after they got the two goals.
I'd have to agree, we've had two fairly comfortable wins but haven't played all that well yet. I don't think we've been any better than at the start of last season, the only real difference being that we're scoring goals this year. If we'd played to our potential it could have been 6-0.
Saw him in the friendly against Pats. He looked pretty good although he missed a decent chance. He's been scoring a lot of goals for the under 21s apparently but he'll find it difficult to break into the team with Robbie Martin and Willie Doyle scoring for fun.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
RTÉ are as correct as ever. Apparently Robbie Doyle and Robert Martyn scored for us. http://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0326/eircom1.html
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
That's how he feels too.He was definitely one of the better players for the 21s last year,and he was optimistic when handed the no.11 squad number for this season.But with the form of your strikers,a first team place may take a while to come.
<insert witty remark>
We don't have squad numbers...?
Looks a promising enough player alright, nearer the first team now that Leech has done a runner. Will hopefully get a run in the next few games - Pete Mahon's not been one for using subs lately!
Hasn't exactly needed to though.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
He's not exactly been troubled enough by the opposition (although we're a different matter...) to not give the new guys a run.
Are you sure Just going on what I'm told but I know all his tracksuits and gear have a specific number on them though....I'll have to see what the crack there is
We don't have squad numbers...?
<insert witty remark>
Mick O'Donnell has had no. 11 in both games so far.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Match report from Athlone's website: http://www.iol.ie/~atfc/reports/ucd260304.htm
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks