Facing UCD is no Bowl of cherries for Drogs
THE UCD Bowl hoodoo shows no sign of ending any time soon after Drogheda United were well beaten on Friday evening to extend their win-less run in Dublin 4 to 13 matches.
Paul Doolin was the manager when the Boynesiders last beat the students on their own soil - way back in April 2008 - and even with the opportunity to leapfrog their hosts to the First Division summit, Tim Clancy’s men couldn’t deliver the victory they needed.
Perhaps the tough examination they got from Shelbourne in Tolka Park four days earlier - a game that was also played in 20-plus degrees - took its toll as UCD had a full week to prepare for this topof-the-table clash.
Spectators expecting a cagey opening got a pleasant surprise as both teams went out in attack mode from the start and brought out the best in the two keepers.
Straight from the kick-off the students patiently put together a few passes and after exactly a minute of play forced the ball forward to Daire O’Connor whose blistering 25-yard shot was superbly parried by Paul Skinner.
At the other end, Sean Brennan found the on-rushing Colm Deasy who cut the ball back to Jake Hyland and his beautifully struck 25-yarder was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Conor Kearns.
Unfortunately, the Boynesiders were unable to build on that early opportunity and for long spells in the opening half they played second fiddle to a sharper, more focused UCD side who produced some dazzling passing sequences. It would an exaggeration to say Drogheda were chasing shadows at times, but they certainly couldn’t match their hosts’ quickness of thought and movement.
Thankfully Ciaran Kelly was alert to the danger in the 11th minute when O’Connor released Georgie Kelly in a suspiciously offside-looking position, as the Drogheda defender made a welltimed lunging tackle to block his namesake’s shot.
From the resulting corner an almighty scramble led to the ball bouncing off the bar, with Skinner seemingly getting a touch to spare one of his teammates from scoring an own goal, and Coffey then tested the keeper with a snap shot.
A brief foray into UCD territory led to a wayward Brennan shot from long distance, but it was no surprise when UCD hit the front in the 20th minute. The lively O’Connor was once more involved, sweeping the ball wide to Jason McClelland, and his angled low cross was somehow allowed to travel all the way to the far post where Kelly prodded home despite being out-numbered by defenders.
The Boynesiders nearly shipped more goals over the next five minutes as Kevin Coffey sliced wide and Paul Osam had an effort blocked by Luke Gallagher.
At the other end Brennan was well off target with a half-volley, again from long range, but the Rathmullen native went much closer to adding to his seven-goal tally for the season on the half-hour.
Deasy did well to intercept an Osam pass and picked out Mark Doyle who dribbled forward, teasing his marker, before squaring to Brennan whose attempted chip towards the top corner just missed the junction of post and crossbar.
O’Connor was finding space all over the park and on 33 minutes he set in motion another UCD chance with a lovely reverse pass to Kelly, but Kevin Farragher denied the striker a shot or even a chance to release a teammate with a welltimed man-and-ball tackle.
Richie Purdy sent a 30-yard effort rising over the UCD bar, but the bigger threat was still coming from the students and Farragher stepped in to make another superb block as Gary O’Neill lined up a shot.
Just before half-time the Boynesiders created their best opening of the first 45 minutes as Purdy, Conor Kane and Brennan worked the ball up the left side to Chris Lyons. The striker drifted infield to a central position just outside the box, but an untimely bobble resulted in a rising shot that carried well over the bar.
Disappointingly, the switch of ends produced no change in the balance of play and UCD looked hungry to put the game to bed in the early stages of the second half.
On 48 minutes McClelland showed great speed and ball control to advance into the box from Osam’s assist and the resulting powerful drive towards the near post had Skinner hanging onto the ball for dear life right on the goal-line.
Another searing attack from the students instigated by Osam and O’Neill resulted in a McClelland shot that was parried by Skinner, and although Kelly forced home the rebound he was in an offside position. Moments later a McClelland effort grazed the crossbar, before Kearns made a crucial intervention at the other end to deny Drogheda an equaliser against the run of play. Gallagher’s pass released Doyle and he picked out the run of Lyons who sneaked in between two defenders to get a toe-poke towards goal, but keeper Kearns spread his body brilliantly to block the ball away.
A mis-hap involving Farragher and Deasy was seized on by O’Neill and the UCD skipper picked out the unmarked O’Connor who somehow rolled the ball wide, and then Coffey set up McClelland whose low shot trickled inches wide, with Skinner rooted to the spot.
An excellent 30-yard effort from Hyland flew wide of the upright, but again UCD responded and Kelly headed over before O’Neill had two long-range efforts, one blocked and one put over the bar.
On 69 minutes Brennan and Gallagher combined to set up Lyons, but this time the striker couldn’t keep his shot on target and Lyons’ evening was summed up when a clash with O’Neill just outside the box saw him penalised, when the decision surely should have gone the other way.
Clancy cut a very frustrated figure on the sidelines, but in the 80th minute he was spared any further heartache when UCD finally grabbed their second goal to end the match as a contest. Kelly, who has been linked with a move to Dundalk, proved too hot to handle - not for the first time in the game - as he met O’Neill’s corner kick with a firm header that gave Skinner no chance.
Moments later Kelly missed a great opportunity to complete his hat-trick, McClelland was then denied by yet another Farragher block and Skinner stood firm to save from substitute Yoyo Mahdy.
Brennan volleyed straight at Kearns and Hyland fired over heading towards the 90-minute mark, but it was UCD who almost added to their tally in stoppage time as a searing drive by Mahdy was brilliantly tipped over by Skinner.