EA Sports Cup Report: Dundalk 1 - 1 UCD (Dundalk win 6-5 on penalties)

Dundalk advanced to the quarter-finals of the EA Sports Cup in unconvincing fashion as they needed a penalty shootout to overcome a spirited UCD side at Oriel Park on Monday evening.

Though the EA Sports Cup may rank low on Dundalk’s list of priorities this season, Stephen Kenny will nonetheless be relieved to have again tasted that winning feeling following Friday night’s disappointing league defeat versus Bray Wanderers at the same venue.

They needed to come from behind as Conor Clifford’s first goal for the club levelled after Gary O’Neill had given the visitors a deserved lead, and the Lilywhites went on to win the shootout with Gabriel Sava saving Yousef Mahdy’s decisive penalty.

UCD had started brightly and captain O’Neill had their first effort on goal when he struck a free-kick straight into the arms of Sava before a lack of communication between Paddy Barrett and the Dundalk goalkeeper allowed Ben Hanrahan to force the latter into an unnecessary save.

The visitors deservedly took the lead in the 17th minute after some wonderful build up play led to Hanrahan teeing up O’Neill, who finished expertly from 20 yards out, leaving Sava rooted to his spot.

Such was Dundalk’s lacklustre display, it took them 38 minutes to create their first chance of real note when Ciaran Kilduff’s headed effort from a Stephen O’Donnell cross had UCD goalkeeper Niall Corbet, who was outstanding on the night, at full stretch.

Steven Kinsella has found opportunities few and far between since his loan move from Everton but the 18-year-old winger was lively throughout and straight after the restart he slipped a beautiful pass into the path of Kilduff but Corbet was again on hand to save.

Kinsella was causing all sorts of problems for UCD down that right flank and he manoeuvred his way into the box before being brought down by Liam Scales, causing referee Robert Harvey to point to the spot which was met by ironic cheers from the Oriel Park faithful.

Much has been made of Dundalk’s lack of penalties awarded over the past year but Kilduff saw his tame effort saved by Corbet, who dived low to his right to keep UCD in the lead.

Dundalk were beginning to turn the screw however and Corbet was forced into another two stops, first from John Mountney’s rasping shot before a great pass from Jamie McGrath sent Dane Massey through on the left and his cross found Thomas Stewart. Corbet again came to the rescue.

The Lilywhites had appeals for a second penalty waved away by Harvey even though Dan Tobin appeared to have handled Kilduff’s goalbound header and Tobin was again the centre of attention when he brought down McGrath, who was weaving his magic on the left.

From the resulting free-kick came the host’s long awaited equaliser as Massey cleverly squared to Clifford and he rifled his effort into the bottom left hand corner with Corbet finally beaten.

Now desperate to avoid extra time, Dundalk almost snatched it right at the death when Kilduff diverted his header just wide of the post from a Kinsella free-kick after the impressive Keith Dalton was fouled by Gareth Coughlan.

Chris Shields had the first effort of extra-time when his deflected shot was just inches wide of the post and Scales did remarkably well to clear the ball off the line from the resulting corner.

UCD were hanging on for penalties at this stage and a nice through ball from Kinsella found Kilduff but, under pressure from Maxim Kouogun, he shot straight at Corbet from a tight angle before Mountney’s deflected effort from distance forced the young keeper to make a world-class save.

Dundalk thought they had finally taken the lead from the resulting corner but McGrath’s volley was ruled out after the linesman raised his flag and both sides had one final chance to win it through Mahdy, who was brilliantly denied by Massey’s block, and McGrath, who shot wide.

Penalties ensued and both teams scored five out of five before McGrath converted the first sudden death kick and up stepped Mahdy, who was denied by Sava as Dundalk advance to the last eight.

Dundalk: Gabriel Sava; Keith Dalton, Paddy Barrett (Chris Shields 61), Sean Hoare, Carlton Ubaezuono (Dane Massey 46); Steven Kinsella, Conor Clifford, Stephen O’Donnell (Jamie McGrath 46), John Mountney; Thomas Stewart, Ciaran Kilduff.

Subs not used: Ben Kelly (gk), Emmet Hughes, James Rice, Michael Duffy.

Booked: Barrett (29).

UCD: Niall Corbet; Dan Tobin, Josh Collins, Liam Scales, Sean Coyne (Evan Osam 69); Rob Manley (Yousef Mahdy 114), Gary O’Neill, Greg Sloggett, Gareth Coughlan; George Kelly, Ben Hanrahan (Maxim Kouogun 78).

Subs not used: Conor Kearns (gk), Conor Crowley, Cian Kavanagh, Jack Ryan.

Booked: Coyne (24), Sloggett (31), Tobin (76).

Referee: Robert Harvey.

Attendance: 750 (estimate).

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Niall Corbet (UCD).