UCD come back to win 3-1 v Dundalk

[Poor Student]

Phew. The bloody Aertel updating was crap for this one. At 9:50 it was saying it was 1-1. That's after showing Byrne's 77th min equaliser at 9:30 roughly when the game had really ended. I assumed it was a draw. But in one second it showed two goals upon refreshing. Damn I thought the title was down the toilet. I'm delighted that Byrne has scored two, perhaps he is the real deal that his U-21 form shows! I assume McDonald who scored the second is Tony Mac?

[Poor Student]

UCD knocked three late goals past
Dundalk tonight at Oriel Park in the
eircom League First Division.

Dundalk opened the scoring through
Simon Kelly when Trevor Vaughan beat
four men before crossing for Kelly who
backheeled to the net.

In the second half Dundalk lost Gareth
Pender after a second yellow card for a
late tackle on Alan McNally.

This seemed to rouse the students. Paul
Byrne heading home at the near post
from a Willie Doyle cross. Tony
McDonald's header was carried over the
line by Dundalk 'keeper Paul Murphy
before Byrne sealed it in injury time.

From aertel. I'm sure Stu will give a more competent report later though.

[Roo69]

Thanks a million lads ! it kind of inadvertently helps us by putting the pressure back on harps to win against Kildare.

[Schumi]

Good result, it looked very dodgy until we equalised.

Their goal was very odd. Alan Mahon was involved in a huge clash of heads (the worst I've ever seen on a football pitch, both players went off at half time) a couple of minutes before and must have still been a bit dazed. He let a Dundalk player get past him pretty easily, he put the ball across and another Dundalk player got the ball past Quigley somehow, he got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out and it trickled into the far corner. I thought he should have done better with it myself but it came down to the left winger getting past Alan Mahon to set it up really. That was just before half time I think. Dundalk looked good in the first half and deserved the lead, the scrappiness of the goal was annoying though.

We looked better in the second half and put them under more pressure. Bringing Paul Byrne on with 25 or 30 minutes left seemed to really change the game. Robbie Mac went off and we seemed to be playing a kind of 3-4-3/4-3-3 formation with Micko playing left back and left wing by the looks of it. I can't remember much about Byrne's first goal as I had just got back from buying some chips! I think it was a shot from inside the box put to the 'keeper's left, I remember thinking it was a nice finish though.

After that, we were all over them and it was only really a matter of whether time would run out before we scored again. The equaliser was an awful mess though. Tony Mac headed (I think) the ball with a bit of power but fairly close to the 'keeper. The 'keeper got to it but didn't seem to be able to keep his balance and fell over the line. The ref took ages to decide if it was over the line but the linesman eventually signalled that it was a goal.

In a disturbing flashback to the last time we played Dundalk before this year, we started playing the ball into the corner and wasting time (there was about 5 minutes left at that stage). As it happened, there wasn't much reason for concern as Dundalk didn't really threaten when they had the ball anyway. Byrne scored his third goal in 75 minutes of football this year in injury time. It was a nice finish from inside the box on the left-hand side that he slotted past the 'keeper, similar enough to his goal against Sligo if I remember rightly.

All the pressure is on Harps now, they really have to beat both Kildare and Dundalk to win the division. Dundalk look a decent enough side going by last night's game so I don't think they'll be a push over on the last day.

[CollegeTillIDie]

In the absence of Pineapple Stu's usual match report here was the UCD line-up for last night's match according to Daniel McDonnell in the Star.

UCD:- Quigley; Mahon (Finn 45), McAuley(Byrne 63),Kenna,McNally,
McDonnell, Sullivan, Doyle, Hughes, Murphy(McWalter 90), O'Donnell

[pineapple stu]

O ye of little faith! Computer's been broken for the last two weeks, so am sneaky using the internet at work on occasion...

Report...

UCD briefly went back to the top of the First Division after a come-from-behind win in Dundalk last Thursday. The Students were on the back foot for much of the game, but after the sending off of Dundalk’s left-back, UCD took control and three goals in the last quarter-hour sealed the win.

Dundalk were much the better side in the first half, getting forward regularly and causing plenty of problems for the UCD defence. They had a good chance midway through the half when Trevor Vaughan was released on the overlap, but he blazed over with just Darren Quigley to beat.

The game was held up for a couple of minutes shortly before half-time when Alan Mahon was involved in a clash of heads with the Dundalk winger, which saw both needing treatment. Both were subbed off at half-time, but in Mahon’s case, not before he had made an unfortunate contribution to the game. On the stroke of half-time, Mahon tried to chip the ball past a Dundalk player on the corner of his own area; he lost possession, and the forward cut inside to send in a low cross which was backheeled into the net by Simon Kelly, although Darren Quigley did seem to get a hand to it as it squirmed in at the far post.

The goal was no more than Dundalk deserved, but UCD started the second half far brighter. The introduction of Seán Finn for Mahon – with Pat Sullivan dropping back to full-back and Anto Murphy going out to right-wing – helped, and within a few minutes, Willie Doyle had a shot on the turn from the edge of the area parried away by Murphy in the Dundalk goal. Philip Hughes picked up the rebound right on the goalline, but could only chip harmlessly into the keeper’s hands.

The game turned with the red card on 65 minutes, of which I knew nothing until I got home that night and checked the Aertel. The Dundalk full-back Pender was the one to walk, by all reports for a second yellow after a foul on Alan McNally. Dundalk seemed to be happy playing a 3-4-2 formation, and shortly after the sending off, Pete Mahon countered this by subbing on Paul Byrne for Rob McAuley. This probably needs some explanation in itself! Mick O’Donnell dropped back to the kind of attacking wing-back association with the 3-5-2 formation, while Willie Doyle moved out to the left in what was essentially a 3-4-3 formation, which became a 4-4-2 when we had to defend. It paid dividends as the UCD forwards were soon enjoying acres of space, and it was no surprise when Paul Byrne equalised on 77 minutes. It was similar to Dundalk’s goal, with Willie Doyle picking the ball up in an identical position and crossing for Byrne to stab home his second goal in his fourth senior appearance – two of which lasted for a combined three minutes.

Two minutes later, UCD took the lead in bizarre fashion when Tony McDonnell’s header was held on the line by the keeper, who then appeared to fall backwards over the line, carrying the ball with him. The ref looked over to his linesman, who only flagged for the goal after the keeper had fallen backwards. It certainly looked like it was ultimately an own-goal, but of course, we don’t have own-goals at Belfield, so Tony Mac will lay claim!

Now chasing the game, Dundalk pushed forward, which left more room for UCD to exploit at the back. However, the Lilywhites still had their moments up front, mainly from a couple of free-kicks in dangerous positions. But the match was sealed in the last minute of injury-time, when Paul Byrne was released and he drilled past the keeper for his third senior goal – after only 78 minutes playing for the first team!

Overall, 3-1 was probably harsh on Dundalk, but the second half performance was probably one of UCD’s most impressive of the season when you consider all the 1-0s and 1-1s! The results also guaranteed us second position, while showing that Dundalk are an improved team from earlier in the season, which gives hope for Saturday!

UCD – Quigley; Mahon (Finn 45), McAuley (Byrne 67), Kenna, McNally; McDonnell, Sullivan, Murphy (McWalter 90), O’Donnell; Doyle, Hughes

Att – c 500