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Dunno about Tony Mac - groin injury according to the papers.
Cork City maintained their 100% winning record in Turner's Cross on Friday night, but there can be no doubts but that they were fortunate to take all three points from a game in which the Students created the best openings and deserved a share of the spoils.
UCD made one change from the team which beat Waterford in midweek - Alan Mahon came back in at the expense of Darragh Ryan, with Conor Kenna moving back to left-back. Cork were without the suspended George O'Callaghan, replaced by Admir Softic, while they were dealt a further blow when John O'Flynn was forced off injured early on, with Denis Behan coming on.
The game started slowly, with Derek Doyle having a chance for UCD before Cork had a deflected effort deflected cleared. However, Cork came more into the game, and UCD had an escape on the half hour when Darren Quigley could only parry a shot from the edge of the area, but the UCD defence reacted to the loose ball first to clear for a corner. Shortly afterwards, City took advantage of hesitancy in the UCD defence, but a header went just wide.
After that, however, UCD started to gain the upper hand - first Conor Sammon broke through, but his shot was straight at Mick Devine in the Cork net, then Derek Doyle was just over from distance before a snap shot from Pat McWalter was saved by Devine after UCD broke from their own penalty area after blocking a cross from Softic.
In the last minute of the first half, there was a shout for a Cork City penalty after a desperate scramble in the UCD area which was ultimately cleared.
Ten minutes into the second half, UCD had a glorious chance to take the lead when Conor Sammon was put clean through, but from 40 yards out, his lob over the advancing Mick Devine sailed narrowly wide when it appeared he had the time to round Devine instead.
However, UCD were dealt a blow on the hour when Tony McDonnell - booked a few minutes earlier - was forced to leave the pitch with a groin injury, to be replaced by Alan Cawley. Two minutes later, Conor Sammon again had a clear sight of goal, but he skewed wide from the edge of the area.
The missed chances came back to haunt UCD with 25 minutes to go when a Denis Behan shot took a deflection in the penalty area to wrong foot Darren Quigley and nestle in the bottom corner of the net.
In the last ten minutes, the game moved from end to end; first, Alan McNally's header from six yards was somehow deflected over the bar after a superb cross from Alan Cawley, and from the resulting corner, Gary Dicker headed just over. Then Derek Doyle was sent through on the left of the penalty area but with only the keeper to beat, he pulled his shot inches wide of the far post. The same fate was to befall Stephen Hurley moments later when, under pressure, he toe-poked just wide of the same post after another UCD pass had split the Cork defence. Cork went close to a second goal on a couple of occasions, most notably with a couple of low crosses which went across the face of the UCD goal with a Cork forward just inches away from connecting.
Despite the result, this was a very positive performance from UCD which, Tony McDonnell's injury notwithstanding, should put them in a good frame of mind ahead of the league game against Longford on Tuesday.
UCD - Quigley; Mahon, Kenna, Shortall, McNally; McDonnell (Cawley 57), Hurley, Dicker, Doyle; Sammon (Quinn 80), McWalter (Ryan 80). Subs not used - Finn, Hussey
Att - c 1500
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
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