Matt Gregg

[pineapple stu]

Some great quotes from him in the papers today - one of the players told him to stay back and he said "I'm a better header than you"; Pete Mahon's quoted as saying that we were trying it out in training or some such. :P

Interesting to see the different views on the game though. All agreed we were the better side and that a draw was the least we deserved; our forward line was commented on once or twice. But The Star gave Brian King a 5, whereas The Sun gave him man of the match; Gregg got a 9 off The Star even though he'd given away a penalty and come charging off his line early in the second half only to miss the ball completely. Shane Fitz got a 5 in the The Sun, but was in the Independent's team of the week. Wierd stuff!

Still, up a place and Harps lost badly. Really badly horribly need a win somewhere to give some sort of breathing space.

[pineapple stu]

Matt Gregg's last-gasp headed goal snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat against fellow strugglers Cobh Ramblers in the Bowl on Sautrday evening. UCD dominated for long spells but once again, their prowess in front of goal let them down, and it was left to goakeeper Gregg to show his teammates the way to goal.

Pete Mahon re-shuffled his team after last week's disappointing defeat against Shamrock Rovers, although it was still a surprise to see both Alan McNally and Shane McFaul dropped to the bench; Brian King and John O'Neill came in in their places. The only other change saw Seán Harding come in for Brian Shortall at right back.

The game was slow to get going, and Cobh took the lead with the first real chance of the game. A dangerous low cross came in from the left, Matt Gregg went down but never looked like collecting, and Daryl Kavanagh went over the top of the UCD keeper. It apepared as if Gregg had gotten a touch on the ball with his knee to clear, and certainly intent appeared minimal, but referee Mr Sutton pointed to the spot for the seventh penalty against UCD this season. Cobh had missed a penalty in the first game, but Ross Gaynor made no mistake on his debut, putting away a clinical strike.

UCD naerly equalised straight away - Brian King set Shane Fitzgerald down the line, and the diminutive winger sent in a teasing cross which Ronan Finn would have scored had he gotten any sort of firm touch on the ball. As it was, he glanced the ball harmlessly wide.

Cobh were happy to sit back on their lead, and a demoralised UCD struggled to break them down for long stages. In the final ten minutes of the first half, though, a number of chances came the home side's way, and they really should have been level at least at the break. First Shane Fitzgerald was played clean through with a nice ball over the top but, as the Cobh keeper came racing out of his box to meet Fitz, the winger lobbed harmlessly wide of goal. Minutes later, Pat McWalter was through in a similar fashion but was called back for pushing his marker in the back. And on the stroke of half time came the best chance - Ronan Finn, in acres of space ten yards out sent in a fierce volley which was beaten away for a corner, although opinions in the stand were divided as to whether it was the keeper or the defender who palmed away.

The second half almost began as the first half did, with a Cobh goal from their only chance. Conor Kenna's back pass was woefully underhit, but as Ross Gaynor beat Matt Gregg to the ball, Kenna somehow came back to clear his own error.

Thereafter, it was all UCD. John O'Neill sent in a cross from the left, but Fitzgerald mistimed his volley entirely, and kneed it over the bar before he then hit the side netting after being played through by King. As time went on though, UCD grew ever more nervous in their play, and passes went astray almost as quickly as Cobh were able to return possession, with the game taking on a distinctly scrappy flavour.

But then, as the game entered the fourth and last minute of injury time, UCD were awarded a free kick 30 yards out after a foul on Fitzgerald. 20 players entered the box - everyone bar free taker Derek Doyle and Ian Bermingham, left back to mind the house. Matt Gregg joined the attack and, as Doyle's cross came in, Gregg found space, connected perfectly and amazingly looped over a defender and into the back of an open net, his counterpart having chosen an extremely inopportune time to go walkabouts. Gregg was instantly mobbed by teammates and positively bounced back into his goal 100 yards away.

Cobh kicked off, and the final whistle went.

UCD - Gregg, Harding (McFaul 68), Bermingham, Kenna, McMillan, King, Fitzgerald, Finn (McNally 74), McWalter, J O'Neill (Forsyth 55), Doyle.

[pineapple stu]

Just watching MNS, it looks like it was a penalty (or else a damned impressive dive), the keeper didn't save Finn's shot, but the defender deflected over with his knee, and Gregg's headed finish was quite superb - really went for it. Could teach the lads a thing or two!