UCD 3 - 0 Monaghan United

Ciaran Kilduff hit a double to bring his tally for the season to four as UCD went top of the First Division last night at the Belfield Bowl.

David McMillan put the Students in front with a fine finish on 27 minutes with Kilduff adding a second minutes later. Kilduff sealed the win with his second goal of the night two minutes from time. The Students were without the injured Greg Bolger, so Robbie McCreevy was brought in to play alongside Ronan Finn in the UCD midfield.

UCD started the match with a quick tempo going straight on the attack. Kilduff was constantly hassling the Monaghan defence, who failed to settle in the opening ten minutes. However, Monaghan started to play some neat one touch football and started to look more confident on the ball, as they began to assert themselves on the game.

Karl Bermingham should of put Monaghan in front on 13 minutes as he just fired wide after good play down the left.

UCD were continually looking for the first time high ball into Kilduff, as they created little in the final third, giving possession away cheaply in the first twenty minutes. However, Michael Leahy and Andrew Boyle looked solid at the back for the students winning the majority of headers that came into the box.

The ever-impressive Finn started to come deeper looking for the ball off his defenders, and started to spread the play out wide for UCD.

Finn’s persistence paid off when he set up the opening goal for David McMillan on 27 minutes. Finn collected the ball in midfield and played a bouncing ball over the top for McMillan who used his pace to get in behind the Monaghan defence. McMillan cut inside and slotted the ball past the keeper with a fine finish in the corner.

The Magic Mons responded well to going behind and could of equalized minutes later as Aidan Lynch was unlucky to see his header go wide from a Monaghan corner.

United were punished for that miss 3 minutes later as the students made it two nil with Kilduff opening his account. Sean Harding and Chris Mulhall exchanged passes with each other down the right. Mulhall looked in-field finding Finn who played an incisive through ball with the outside of his boot to Kilduff, who calmly rounded Monagahan keeper Brendan Kennedy slotting the ball into an empty net.

UCD should of made it three nil just before the half after a good one-two down the left between John Reilly and Kilduff which resulted in Kilduff’s shot going straight at the keeper.

Monaghan made just one change after half time bringing on Stephen McCrossan for Shane Grimes. The second half was a much quieter affair as the students sat on their two nil lead looking to counter attack at any chance.

Monaghan didn’t look threatening in the final third, as they resorted to a lot of high-ball into the UCD box looking for flick-ons from David Freeman and Karl Bermingham up front.

McMillan’s Pace and Kilduff’s presence were troubling the Monaghan defence throughout the second half. The students continued to look for a third as Sean Harding bombed forward from right back going close on a number of occasions.

To their credit Monaghan didn’t drop their heads, and should of pulled a goal back on 60 minutes after some slack defending from UCD. Michael Leahy failed to clear a relatively simple cross, which resulted in the ball trickling across the six yard box with no Monaghan player there to punish them.

Don Tierney who had a fine game for Monaghan in midfield, continued to push his team forward in search of a goal.

Both sides made changes with Monaghan bringing on Darren McKenna for Cathal O’Connor and UCD bringing on Evan McMillan for his Brother David McMillan who had an excellent game. UCD switched to 4-5-1 with McMillan going in to center back and Kilduff playing the lone striker up front.

The students continued to sit back on their two nil lead looking to use their pace out wide and counter attack. Their tactics paid off when Kilduff bagged his second goal two minutes from time.

Chris Mulhall broke down the left wing picking out the run of Kilduff. The Monaghan defenders failed to see the run of Kilduff who latched on to Mulhalls through ball, poking it underneath the on-rushing Brendan Kennedy in the goal.

UCD thoroughly deserved their win and Martin Russell seems to have turned them into a very strong outfit. They now sit proudly at the top of Division One, after three wins for their opening games.



UCD: Ger Barron; Sean Harding, Michael Leahy, Andy Boyle, Brian Shorthall; John Reilly (Peter McMahon 85), Ronan Finn, Robbie Creevy, Chris Mulhall; David McMillian (Evan McMillan 75), Ciaran Kilduff.
Subs not used: Billy Brennan, Ciaran Nangle, Keith Ward.

Monaghan United: Brendan Kennedy; Paul Whelan, Aidan Lynch, Brian Gartland, Shane Grimes (Stephen McCrossan 46); Barry Clancy, Dom Tierney, Alan Byrne, Cathal O’Connor (Darren McKenna 58); Karl Bermingham (Darragh Hanphy 78), David Freeman.
Subs not used: Charlei Treacy, Ross Moran.

Booked: O’Connor

Referee: Derek Tommey.

Attendance: 160 (estimate)

Extratime Man of the Match: Sean Harding, Ronan Finn and David McMillan all had fine games. But, new signing Ciaran Kilduff just edged them. He was constant threat to Monaghnan defence and bagged himself two goals on the night.