THE LAST TIME UCD won three successive SEE Airtricity League games was back in October 2011 and while they couldn’t quite achieve that feat on Friday, they will wonder how victory slipped through their grasp. Jason Hughes’ last-gasp strike denied the Students at the death and gave Limerick a valuable point on the road, a result which may just kickstart their campaign.
Tomas Boyle’s header shortly after the interval looked to have given Aaron Callaghan’s men another three points, following wins over Athlone and Bray, but a late rally from the visitors proved too much to withstand as Hughes fired home from ten yards.
Moments earlier, UCD managed to survive successive goalmouth scrambles as Limerick laid siege in search of a late leveller but the hosts were left to rue not taking advantage of their superiority for most of the game.
Cillian Morrison, fresh from scoring the season’s first hat-trick last week at Bray, used his physical presence effectively early-on as both sides scrapped for the ascendancy in the central areas.
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In a rare moment of quality during an otherwise monotonous opening period, Morrison’s deft touch and pass set the overlapping Michael Barker free on the right; his centre was headed goal wards by Dean Clarke but his effort was tame, allowing Barry Ryan to push to safety.
The Students, who before tonight were the league’s joint top-scorers, went close to getting the reward their early enterprise had merited. Once again, it was Clarke that caused the problems, but having beaten Ryan with a glancing header from Robbie Benson’s set-piece, his effort cannoned off the upright.
Stuart Taylor’s side have started the season slowly, with just two points on the board thus far, and their shortcomings were evident as they lacked any creativity and penetration in the attacking third. It took the best part of a half an hour for them to warm to the task here and even then, Shane Duggan’s long-range efforts did little to worry Conor O’Donnell in the UCD goal.
It was perhaps inevitable that the breakthrough would come from a set-piece, with the sandy and slightly lengthy Belfield surface hindering both sides’ efforts to play free-flowing football. Benson’s in-swinger wasn’t dealt with by the visitors’ defence and Boyle rose highest to get the finest of touches to divert past Ryan.
Taylor responded immediately by introducing Craig Curran and his arrival almost paid instant dividends. For the first time, Limerick were able to string a succession of passes together but when the ball fell at the feet of the substitute, he couldn’t beat O’Donnell from fourteen yards.
The hosts found themselves sitting inside their own half and content to play on the counter-attack but were nearly pegged back on the hour mark. Shane Tracy’s corner was headed narrowly wide by Curran when he should have done better from close range.
UCD’s attacking threat diminished when the lively Ayman Ben Mohamad hobbled off following a hefty, but fair, challenge by Samuel Oji on half-way. They did, however, have the opportunity to double their lead with ten minutes remaining. Benson could only shoot straight at Ryan after Clarke broke down the right.
It allowed Limerick to commit numbers in attack as they pegged the Students into their own penalty box and it eventually told. O’Donnell produced a fine stop to deny Curran again in the final moments but UCD couldn’t stop the flow and in the 93rd minute, the ball fell to the unmarked Hughes and he made no mistake by rifling home past O’Donnell.
UCD: Conor O’Donnell; Michael Barker (Gareth Matthews, 86’), Hugh Douglas, Tomas Boyle, Mark Langtry; Chris Mulhall, Robbie Creevy, Robbie Benson (c), Ayman Ben Mohamed, Dean Clarke; Cillian Morrison (Dwayne Wilson, 89’). Substitutes: Mark McGinley, James Kavanagh, Gary Burke, Colin Crowe, Samir Belhout.
Limerick: Barry Ryan; Patrick Nzuzi, Samuel Oji, Stephen Folan, Robbie Williams; Shane Tracy, Prince Agyemang (Craig Curran, 52’), Shane Duggan (c), James McGrath (Thomas McManus 77’), Jason Hughes; Rory Gaffney. Substitutes: Shane Cusack, Garbhan Coughlan, Tony Whitehead, Darragh Rainsford, Barry Sheedy.
UCD denied third win on the trot as Hughes strikes for Limerick late on
UCD 1
Limerick 1
THE LAST TIME UCD won three successive SEE Airtricity League games was back in October 2011 and while they couldn’t quite achieve that feat on Friday, they will wonder how victory slipped through their grasp. Jason Hughes’ last-gasp strike denied the Students at the death and gave Limerick a valuable point on the road, a result which may just kickstart their campaign.
Tomas Boyle’s header shortly after the interval looked to have given Aaron Callaghan’s men another three points, following wins over Athlone and Bray, but a late rally from the visitors proved too much to withstand as Hughes fired home from ten yards.
Moments earlier, UCD managed to survive successive goalmouth scrambles as Limerick laid siege in search of a late leveller but the hosts were left to rue not taking advantage of their superiority for most of the game.
Cillian Morrison, fresh from scoring the season’s first hat-trick last week at Bray, used his physical presence effectively early-on as both sides scrapped for the ascendancy in the central areas.
In a rare moment of quality during an otherwise monotonous opening period, Morrison’s deft touch and pass set the overlapping Michael Barker free on the right; his centre was headed goal wards by Dean Clarke but his effort was tame, allowing Barry Ryan to push to safety.
Stuart Taylor’s side have started the season slowly, with just two points on the board thus far, and their shortcomings were evident as they lacked any creativity and penetration in the attacking third. It took the best part of a half an hour for them to warm to the task here and even then, Shane Duggan’s long-range efforts did little to worry Conor O’Donnell in the UCD goal.
It was perhaps inevitable that the breakthrough would come from a set-piece, with the sandy and slightly lengthy Belfield surface hindering both sides’ efforts to play free-flowing football. Benson’s in-swinger wasn’t dealt with by the visitors’ defence and Boyle rose highest to get the finest of touches to divert past Ryan.
Taylor responded immediately by introducing Craig Curran and his arrival almost paid instant dividends. For the first time, Limerick were able to string a succession of passes together but when the ball fell at the feet of the substitute, he couldn’t beat O’Donnell from fourteen yards.
The hosts found themselves sitting inside their own half and content to play on the counter-attack but were nearly pegged back on the hour mark. Shane Tracy’s corner was headed narrowly wide by Curran when he should have done better from close range.
It allowed Limerick to commit numbers in attack as they pegged the Students into their own penalty box and it eventually told. O’Donnell produced a fine stop to deny Curran again in the final moments but UCD couldn’t stop the flow and in the 93rd minute, the ball fell to the unmarked Hughes and he made no mistake by rifling home past O’Donnell.
Other results:
UCD: Conor O’Donnell; Michael Barker (Gareth Matthews, 86’), Hugh Douglas, Tomas Boyle, Mark Langtry; Chris Mulhall, Robbie Creevy, Robbie Benson (c), Ayman Ben Mohamed, Dean Clarke; Cillian Morrison (Dwayne Wilson, 89’). Substitutes: Mark McGinley, James Kavanagh, Gary Burke, Colin Crowe, Samir Belhout.
Limerick: Barry Ryan; Patrick Nzuzi, Samuel Oji, Stephen Folan, Robbie Williams; Shane Tracy, Prince Agyemang (Craig Curran, 52’), Shane Duggan (c), James McGrath (Thomas McManus 77’), Jason Hughes; Rory Gaffney. Substitutes: Shane Cusack, Garbhan Coughlan, Tony Whitehead, Darragh Rainsford, Barry Sheedy.
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