League Preview: Cabinteely FC -v- UCD

CABINTEELY FC

Cabinteely play host to UCD at Stradbrook in the opening round of the 2017 First Division. Although the South County Dublin men finished 2016 towards the foot of the SSE Airtricity First Division table, an air of optimism pervales around Stradbrook. There are some fresh faces (but experienced heads) in the backroom team for the 2017 campaign.

New manager Pat Devlin will be hoping that Cabinteely can benefit from the influence of some astute close season signings. Only Oscar Brennan (Bohemians) and Ben Hanrahan (ironically to UCD) of last year’s squad have left the club while Cabinteely have acquired seven new signatures.

No fewer than four of the new arrivals are former UCD players. Jason Byrne and Kieran Marty Waters will bring some invaluable League of Ireland experience to the club and will be keen to put one over on their former employers. Waters scored in a pre-season friendly 1-0 win over Finn Harps and will hope for a repeat in the south Dublin derby.

The home faithful at Stradbrook had just thirteen goals to celebrate last season and an increase in that strike rate will be essential if Cabo are to progress. An ambitious Strategic Plan was recently launched and the League of Ireland squad is seen as an important cog in the Cabinteely F.C. community wheel.

Further spice is added to this intriguing season opener as Pat Devlin faces UCD, the club where he was associated with much success (including an Under 19 league victory) last season.

UCD

Looking ahead to the new season, UCD Boss Collie O’Neill spoke to the UCD official website.

“We have a good young squad here. We have added a number of young players to our first team set up, with Cian Kavanagh, Evan Osam, Ben Hanrahan and Yoyo Mahdy all signing ahead of the start of the new season. These players will add to an already talented squad and of course we have a number of players throughout the squad now who are very experienced in the League of Ireland despite their young age."

Inevitably, some focus will have been elsewhere this week as UCD battled their way to the final of the 2017 Collingwood Cup at Maynooth. The decider ended in injury-time heartbreak for the Dublin side, UCC winning 2-1 courtesy of a 94^th minute Daniel Pender header.

UCD finished fourth last term and begin 2017 with a vastly different approach. With just one club set to be promoted from the First Division this year, UCD’s youth strategy will need to kick into gear quickly if the Students are to avoid a fourth successive season in the second tier. The Belfield Bowl men will seek to replicate the 2009 season in which a similarly young squad won promotion as First Division champions.  

UCD’s 23-year-old goalkeeper Conor O'Donnell is now their eldest and most experienced player and an away clean sheet by him in Stradbrook will start the season off on the right note. The Students will hope to build on an excellent 2-0 home victory against Premier Division Drogheda United in the Leinster Senior Cup.

Referee: Alan Carey.

MATCH FACTS

Cabo have failed to beat UCD in any of their last five league encounters. Cabo did manage a 0-0 draw in the April 2016 meeting at Stradbrook.

UCD won 2-0 when sides met last September at Stradbrook. Jason Byrne scored the Students’ second goal on that occasion. Byrne will be in Cabinteely’s colours this season.

Cabinteely’s record EA Sports Cup victory came against away against UCD on March 9, 2015.

Cabinteely: last five league games LLWDL

UCD: last five league games WWDDW

BETTING

Cabinteely 15/8; Draw 5/2; UCD 6/5

PREDICTION

Cabinteely 1-2 UCD

Cabinteely

Injured: None

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

UCD

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None.