UCD v GUFC

[Poor Student]

Cant believe no one has mentioned the refs part in the second goal for UCD where he played a perfect defence splitting pass to Fitzgerald which gave the defence and Rogers no chance.

Not quite accurate but he was the architect of our first goal and I'd be livid if I was a Galway fan. If it's any consolation your first goal was the result of your left winger ripping apart our right back who was a centre half standing in for our proper right back who got injured in the warm up. We had to rejig the defence another time to come up with a solution to that problem and only then did we find our feet. Fair play to Galway for picking it up at the end and pressing on until the death. We've conceded too many dying minute goals for my liking this season.

[pineapple stu]

We've conceded too many dying minute goals for my liking this season.

We've lost five points in the 90th minute, and gained four. Nett loss of one point. What goes around, comes around.

[Poor Student]

It's football, not accountancy. Your net point difference of minus one is in fact 5 points lost. The last minute equalisers and winners don't cancel the others out. Wins and losses in soccer don't cancel each other out. If you have an equal amount of wins and losses chances are you won't be too high in the table. Late goals are not random occurances to balance out, ask Drogheda.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, but you can't just focus on the points lost. It's like saying if all our shots had gone in, we'd be top of the table, which completely ignores all the opposition's shots.

[Poor Student]

This is the Galway forum so I'm not going to carry on with this.

[Tir Oilean]

We've conceded too many dying minute goals for my liking this season.

You've conceded too many goals in the dying minutes this season????? Check out our records Poor Student Id say its worse than UCDs!!!! But maybe this is a turn in our fortunes the fact that we slotted one in with 3mins of injury time up on the clock!

[galwayhoop]

Two biggies coming up now with Drogheda away and the Bit o Red at home. What points haul do ye think that will yield?

1 point (2 Max) is all we'll get from the 2 games

[gufct]

I think we will get something in Drogheda and as for Sligo we have to win at home sometime. Ill go for 4 on the battling display on friday and Flynny getting a game and a goal under his belt.

[pineapple stu]

You've conceded too many goals in the dying minutes this season????? Check out our records Poor Student Id say its worse than UCDs!!!! But maybe this is a turn in our fortunes the fact that we slotted one in with 3mins of injury time up on the clock!

You've conceded two 90th minute goals this season, from what I can see. We've conceded four.

[Gaillimh Al]

Last 10 minutes conceded by us.

Drogs (h) - lose to injury time winner from free kick.
Rovers (a) - lose to 87th minute winner
Longford (h) - equaliser in 81st minute followed by late spot kick miss
Bohs (a) - equaliser in 80th minute
Derry (a) (league cup) - lost to last minute winner
Finn Harps (h) (cup) - surrender 2 goal advantage in the 86th minute
Shamrock Rovers (h) - injury time equaliser.

Since then we've managed 2 late equalisers away to Sligo and last weekend.

[pineapple stu]

Last ten minutes just doesn't compare to injury time!

[Tir Oilean]

Well Poor student did say the dyin minutes which I would interpret as the last ten minutes.

[Maroon 7]

Last ten minutes just doesn't compare to injury time!

Last kick of the game or last few minutes of a game does it really matter?

It's still a kick in the balls whether it's in the 92nd minute or the 86th.

[pineapple stu]

It's a kick in the balls whenever it happens.

However, "dying minutes" I would interpret as injury time - especially when it's a UCD fan saying it and that's how our season has gone - in which case, we win...

[Tir Oilean]

It's a kick in the balls whenever it happens.

However, "dying minutes" I would interpret as injury time - especially when it's a UCD fan saying it and that's how our season has gone - in which case, we win...

Ok sorry about that Pedantic Pineapple!

[gufct]

Great Report in yesterdays Sentinel well done Keith called the game well and gave credit where its due. I cant scan and paste it maybe someone else can.

[Schumi]

Great Report in yesterdays Sentinel well done Keith called the game well and gave credit where its due. I cant scan and paste it maybe someone else can.

This? Or was there a proper report?

[gufct]

Thanks Schumi

[gufct]

O’Flynn to the rescue
with last gasp header
UCD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Galway United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
BY KEITH KELLY
Guts, passion, determination and a dollop
of self belief saw Galway United take a
deserved point in Belfield against UCD on
Friday night while also pointing to a
brighter finish to a season that just a
week ago looked like ending in
relegation.
A goal down at the break, United absolutely battered
the hosts in the second half but with a performance
high on perspiration and low on inspiration, the lack of
genuine creativity minimised any real sights of goal as
the clock ticked towards full time.
United deserved to take
something from the game, but
when the three minutes of injury
time signalled by the fourth
official had elapsed, it looked as
though United were to depart
empty handed.
However, one last hopeful ball
was pumped into the UCD box,
the hosts failed to clear their
lines, and when the ball bobbled
up in front of him, Stephen
O’Flynn stuck a head on it to
send it looping over ‘keeper
Darren Quigley and inside the
far corner for the equaliser.
The point sees United move
back ahead of Waterford
United, if only on goal
difference, but the main thing
manager Tony Cousins will take
from the game was the heart
and appetite for battle his side
showed.
Next up for United is a trip to
champions-elect Drogheda
United in front of the TV
cameras next Monday night,
followed by games against Sligo
Rovers and Cork City, and while
no one in their right mind would
predict United taking much — if
anything — from those games,
another repeat of Friday night’s
second half display just might
prove otherwise.
For one thing, Cousins seems
to have finally found his
strongest side, even if it means
having to reassign the captain’s
armband for the rest of the
season. He rang the changes
on Friday, bringing in Stephen
O’Flynn and John Russell as
expected, but the biggest
surprise was the dropping of
Wes Charles to the bench, Greg
O’Halloran coming in at right
back with Regi Nooitmeer
joining John Fitzgerald — who
was named as captain for the
night — in the heart of defence.
The absence of O’Flynn in
recent games should not be
underestimated: United had
taken just three points from the
six league games he sat out
with an ankle injury, but the
difference with him up front was
evident from the first minute as
he held the ball up and gave
United a presence up front they
had been missing in recent
games.
There seemed to be a bit of
confidence running through the
side as well, and they found the
net in the third minute when
Derek O’Brien turned on a John
Lester pass to fire home, but the
effort was ruled out for offside.
Their next attempt on goal had a
more permanent outcome.
O’Flynn played a lovely ball in
behind Conor Kenna for O’Brien
to run on to, and the UCD man
was left trailing in the winger’s
wake as he cut into the box
before pulling the ball back to
Derek Glynn. Glynn’s first touch
was poor, but his second was
clinical, smashing the ball high
into the roof of the net at the
near post for his seventh league
goal of the season.
They almost extended their
lead two minutes later, Shaun
Fagan’s shot denied by a strong
one-handed save by Darren
Quigley, but instead of
continuing to push, United
started to look a little unsure of
themselves — hardly surprising
given recent performances and
results — with midfield dropping
deeper into their own half,
giving UCD far too much time
and space on the ball.
As a result, the Students
began to dictate the pace and
tempo of the game, and with
United failing to close them
down quickly, they were able to
take a look and find a man with
ease.
After a number of close
shaves for United, the hosts
finally found a way around
United’s defence, Ronan Finn’s
through ball deflecting into the
path of Conor Sammon in the
25th minute.
The striker shot first time, but
was denied by a cracking
fingertip save by Gary Rogers
who dived at full stretch to his
right to keep it out.
United still didn’t heed the
warnings, and they conceded
the equaliser three minutes later
when they were brilliantly
carved open down the right.
Ronan Finn, who was pulling
the strings in midfield, slid a
lovely ball in behind Alan Keane
for speed merchant Shane
Fitzgerald to run onto.
The winger held off his man to
get in a cross, and while it was
too strong for Conor Sammon,
Derek Doyle was racing in at the
back post and he fired back
across goal and inside the far
post for his seventh of the
season.
The home side took the lead
seconds shy of the half time
whistle with a strike that had
more than a little luck to it. The
ball broke off referee Tom
Connolly into Doyle’s path, and
as he surged into the box, Alan
Keane lost his footing to allow
John Fitzgerald a clear sight of
goal, and he smashed the ball
past Gary Rogers.
United played with more
conviction after the break, and
while UCD had a couple of
decent chances, as well as half
a shout for a penalty, it was
United who did most of the
pressing. They had 14 attempts
on goal as opposed to four from
the home side.
Lester in particular deserves
mention for a mammoth
performance, and he was
unlucky not to open his league
account as he had six efforts on
goal in the second half.
Daryl Robson, introduced for
the ineffective Fagan at half
time, gave the United midfield a
bit more of a bite, and between
them they wrested control from
Brian King and Ronan Finn in
the middle of the park.
Sammon was unlucky to lose
control when clear through on
goal for UCD in the 52nd
minute, and Doyle fired wide six
minutes later, but at the other
end Lester flashed a header
inches wide; Fitzgerald blazed
over from 14 yards and Alan
Murphy fired a free kick just
wide of the far post.
Charles was sent to warm up
and was thrown on in the 90th
minute in a move that smacked
of desperation. By all means,
put a big man in the box to
cause a bit of havoc, but giving
him just three minutes to make
an impact seemed a little futile.
How wrong we were, his
presence creating the panic that
saw O’Flynn mark his return
with what could prove a
priceless equaliser.
UCD: Quigley; Kenna, McNally,
Shorthall, Bermingham;
Fitzgerald, Finn, King, Doyle;
Sammon, Hynes (Murphy 83).
Galway United: Rogers;
O’Halloran, Fitzgerald,
Nooitmeer, Keane; Russell
(Murphy 61), Lester, Fagan
(Robson h-t), O’Brien; Glynn
(Charles 90), O’Flynn.
Referee: Tom Connolly (Dublin

[pineapple stu]

A goal down at the break, United absolutely battered
the hosts in the second half

How can you take the articleseriously when it starts like that?!