"What goes around, comes around" was the message for UCD after this narrow victory over Sligo, which actually saw the College drop a place in the league courtesy of Bray's big win over Dundalk. After being denied a clear-cut penalty in Cobh the previous week, this game was only six minutes old when the referee spotted an apparent handball after a cross from the right and awarded College a penalty - our third of the season. With Robbie Mac and Seán Finn both on the bench (not sure why), Robbie Martin became our third penalty-taker of the season and drilled home to give College an early lead, much to Sligo manager Don O'Riordan's rather vocal disgust.
Two minutes later and it could have been 2-0 - centre-back Alan McNally picked the ball up inside his own half and went on a run which saw him get to the edge of the penalty area, where for once, his long-range finishing let him down and his shot was rather easily saved by Alvin Rouse in the Sligo goal.
There wasn't a huge amount of incident in the remainder of the first half until we reached injury time, when Sligo equalised. An inswinging free from the left curled away from UCD's defenders and, as Neil Gallagher stayed on his line, the division's top scorer Stephen O'Donnell nipped in at the back to tap home.
College upped the tempo in the second half and were rewarded shortly before the hour mark with a second goal. Pat Sullivan was dragged back just outside the penalty area while making another run down the right wing; he sent the free in himself and Robbie Martin was there to meet it with a glancing header to notch his sixth of the season.
Sligo came back and could have equalised again in bizarre fashion. There seemed no danger when a shot came through to Neil Gallagher, but the ball spun out of his hands and only inches wide of the post at the expense of a corner. Meanwhile, at the other end, Alvin Rouse in the Sligo goal wasn't having the happiest of evenings either, and in one incident, he came out of goal to clear up a through ball only to slice his clearance and nearly let Robbie Martin through for a hat-trick; fortunately, he put enough slice on it to allow his defence time to get back and cover.
Shortly after the hour mark, UCD brought on Seán Finn, and he made an immediate difference to UCD's attack. Willie Doyle could have made it 3-1 with a dipping shot from outside the area which clipped the bar, while Pat McWalter caused the Sligo defence plenty of problems on the left wing.
All in all though, a narrow if just about deserved win over a Sligo side who had been hovering close to the play-offs. There's a week break from the league now as the Dundalk game has been postponed, so our next league game sees us put our seven-match home winning streak in the league on the line against Kilkenny City, before a promotion six-pointed as Bray visit Belfield.
UCD - Gallagher; Mahon, Davey, Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, Gannon (Finn 65), Sullivan, McWalter; Doyle (Kierans 90), Martin.
Attendance - 338
Well, Pineapple, your reports are usually on the ball but this time, you must have been distracted. UCD did up the tempo in the second half but the goal came immediately after the introduction of Sean Finn, with Sully going on the right wing. The free kick for the winner was taken by Seanie with Pete on the line roaring at Robbie to attack the ball before it went into the area.
Still second thanks to Kildare drawing again actually.Originally Posted by pineapple stu
What play-offs are these?a Sligo side who had been hovering close to the play-offs.
This was another poor performance, we only barely deserved the win against a decidedly mediocre Sligo team. When we bothered and put some pressure on them, we looked much the better side but for most of the game, we didn't do anything and let them compete when we should have been out of sight.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Ah yes, thank you Setanta and Schumi for pointing out my mortalness! What you both say is correct...
I've gotten a feeling over the last couple of games that we're only trying as hard as we need to, which is a very risky strategy, as the Cobh game showed...
[QUOTE=Schumi]
What play-offs are these?
There is a play-off. The 4th team in the 1st division plays off against the bottom team of the premier division.
The bottom team in the Premier is automatically relegated, with the top three in the First automatically promoted. There are no playoffs this season. How is it that these little sort of details don't get about!?
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