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)
Last edited by pineapple stu; 11/07/2007 at 12:28 AM.
missed this one im afraid
was there much of a crowd?
I did see the stockport players hit templebar afterwards!
I missed Drogs game last friday also - a lot of their attacks seemed to come form their right - - UCDs left
Bermingham wasnt playing - was kenna back at left back?
Was bermingham injured or dropped to make way for tony mcdonnell?
About 250, similar to the Harps league cup game.Originally Posted by DRDoc
Kenna was left-back, yeah. I think Bermingham is injured, he wasn't on the bench for either game anyway.Bermingham wasn't playing - was kenna back at left back?
Was bermingham injured or dropped to make way for tony mcdonnell?
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
He's in training at least; himself and Paul Byrne (and a couple of others) arrived about kick off time.
I missed the game because I was and am ill. How was Podge?
Last edited by CollegeTillIDie; 12/07/2007 at 10:24 AM.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
That's a nice match report. I like that writing style.
You implying something?
Hey Pineapple - chill out - he only dissed your style - he deleted mine in full !!
DB Cooper is alive !
Dicker was and still is injured Pineapple...btw Im not Dicker he's a mate.....
No. I hadn't realised that match report writers are like women.You implying something?
That's a lie! I sent it on to both Pineapple S & Bald S & S Mullet. The outbox doesn't lie. I doesn't help when half of them are swanning off in Portugal and the rest are using the world's worst email service.
Presume we are all going to Tolka Monday ?
Weather permitting, I might drift across to the under 21 game tomorrow
DB Cooper is alive !
Your terminology's a bit outdated on here fellas, English Division 3? It's been called League Two for four years now!
Good result against a decent Stockport side though.
"Life is like a hair on a toilet seat. Sooner or later you are bound to get pi$$ed off."
"In this league, a draw is sometimes as good as a win" - Steve Morison
Looked OK when he came on.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
He didnt train all week, and last i heard was he is going for a scan on his left knee.
Me hole to that. Stupid name.Your terminology's a bit outdated on here fellas, English Division 3? It's been called League Two for four years now!
Careful, if Coca Cola catch you slandering their brand they'll be round your house with a team of lawyers faster than you can say 'this drink contains the same amount of sugar as 25 boxes of Frosties'.
Or something to that effect.
"Life is like a hair on a toilet seat. Sooner or later you are bound to get pi$$ed off."
"In this league, a draw is sometimes as good as a win" - Steve Morison
Call it Division 4 then.
No point in being half traditional
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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Well said.. bring back Division 4 , abolish the term Premiershi*, and then call it Division 1 all over again. And then start distributing the TV revenue evenly over the entire English professional set up. Ah but then I woke up
Yeah, maybe you're right.
Problem is, Premiership and First Division is ingrained in me from the LoI.
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