Report: UCD 0 - 0 Sligo Rovers

A crowd of circa five hundred witnessed UCD and Sligo Rovers do battle at a bitterly cold, wet and windy Belfield Bowl. UCD came into the game looking for their first home points of the season while visitors Sligo were in search of their first win of the new campaign - and their first away points. In what was at times a dull contest neither side were able to get on the score sheet, so the points were shared and Pete Mahon and Paul Cook will both be happy that defeat was avoided.

Both sides had a couple of changes forced upon them. Paul Byrne was suspended for the students so Darren Forsyth partnered Timmy Purcell up front. Ian Birmingham, who had been away with the Irish U19s all week, was ill and left out of the squad altogether. Killian Gallagher filled in at left back. Other than that UCD were as they were for each of their preceding three games this season. Sligo captain Gavin Peers was ruled out with an ankle injury he picked up in the league cup against Kildrum Tigers. Left back Chris Butler picked up a knock in the same game. Jamie McKenzie slotted in at centre back and Danny Ventre moved from midfield back to left back.

It was the UCD defense that was to be first put under pressure. Fahrudin Kuduzovic looked for Matthew Judge over the top and Conor Kenna was forced to clear to safety. UCD got their passing game going and a good move involving Ronan Finn and Brian King resulted in an Alan McNally header coming close. Minutes later UCD quickly turned defence into attack and broke away on their right hand side. Forsyth evaded Mauro Almeida's lunge on the half way line and sped towards the Sligo goal. He picked out Pat McWalter with a neat cut back but Richard Brush got a strong hand to the Wicklow mans shot.

Judge was looking more interested than normal for Sligo and just before the twenty minute mark he tested UCD keeper Matt Gregg with a curling shot from a few yards outside the box. UCD again looked to get forward quickly and on this occasion Alan Mahon and Timmy Purcell exchanged passes. The right back found Purcell in the box with a well directed low cross but Almeida was at hand for Sligo to clean up the danger. The hosts were now opting for quite a few direct balls into the Sligo box put they weren’t proving to be profitable

As the rain eased off around the half hour mark Sligo started to control the game and fashioned a few good chances. Judge and Kuduzovic were linking up well but so far their efforts lacked the decisiveness required. Outside the box things were coming off for them but in and around the goal a cutting edge was missing. Benin international Romo Boco was sent tumbling to the ground thirty five yards from goal and from the subsequent free kick the quick thinking Kuduzovic found Seamus Coleman in space at the edge of the box. Stretching to get his foot around the ball he sent his cross too close to Gregg in the UCD goal.

Conor O’Grady was doing a fine job breaking up attacks and making crucial interceptions in front of the Sligo back four. On one such occasion he sniffed out a UCD advance and fed the ball to utility man Raf Cretaro. Cretaro ran at speed over the half way line and picked out Anto Murphy with a well timed cross field pass. Murphy teased full back Mahon before cutting inside and trying his luck from the edge of the box. However his shot lacked the necessary power and direction. Mahon was again helpless a few minutes before the break - this time Kuduzovic left him trailing. The Bosnian crossed for Boco but Kenna got back just in time to get a block in on the shot.

Paul Cooke swapped Boco and Murphy at the beginning of the second half and the change nearly had an immediate effect. OGrady broke up another UCD attack and found Boco in space. Coleman raced down the outside and controlled the ball well despite the close attention of UCD left back Gallagher. The Irish U21 player looked clear but Gallagher got back and cleared for a corner. Just a minute or so later Cretaro cut inside from the left and unleashed a powerful drive from all of thirty five yards. Gregg initially looked concerned but in the end the former Galway players shot curled well wide.

UCD let up somewhat on the direct approach in the second half and whenever they were afforded time on the ball they looked a neat side and had no problem working the ball around trying to shift the Sligo defence out of position. In particular they looked dangerous whenever they stole possession - they looked to move the ball quickly to the front men or the wingers and progress the attack from there. Purcell drifted out wide and drew a foul from Almeida. Mahon drilled in the free kick, and found Purcell at the far post unmarked. The young striker made the correct decision and headed it back to the edge of box where Kenna lined up a shot. Kenna hit nothing but air, but McNally was well placed behind him and drilled in a low volley that was blocked on the six yard line. The ball eventually came to Kenna again - he at least made contact this time but he was always leaning back and his shot didn’t trouble the goal

O’Grady picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul on Purcell as UCD looked to again break quickly. Sligo were now playing with more or less three players up top and Cooke made three substitutions in quick succession in a effort to take the game to the hosts. As another Sligo attack broke down UCD cleared their lines and McWalter found himself in a great position on the right wing. He delayed making a decision on what he was going to do and in the end his attempt at crossing was half blocked. The ball rolled to McNally who was following the play up but his shot from thirty yards curled away harmlessly towards the corner flag.

Danny Ventre joined in on a Sligo attack mid way through the half after good work from substitute Sean Doherty and Murphy. Ventre skipped past a few challenges but just as he entered the box and looked to get a shot off Kenna got a strong tackle in. Minutes later Sligo came their closest to finding a goal. Another substitute, Alan Moore, picked the ball up thirty yards from goal. He turned quickly and lofted an ever so delicate chip over the head of Gregg. The UCD shotstopper looked beaten but somehow managed to recover and get a finger tip to the ball, touching it on to the crossbar and out for a corner

Sligo continued to look for a winner and were finding that UCD had serious difficulties dealing with long balls in the air. On another day they would have picked up the loose balls in and around the box and worked attempts at goal but tonight it just wasnt falling for them and UCD were eventually clearing the danger. UCD themselves hadnt given up hope of a late winner but when it came to the final third their composure deserted them. Finn had a piledriver from outside the box sail high and wide. In the last minute of the game McWalter skipped past Brian Cash before sending in what looked like a dangerous cross. Brush and Almeida looked like they were going to collide around the penalty spot but the keeper adjusted well and gathered the ball into his chest

The weather at times made it very difficult for either side to play the type of game they are used too. When the strong wind was behind them both sides succumbed to the easy option of playing it long and direct from the back. For all of the attacking endevour, Brush and Gregg werent called upon all that often to come to their sides rescue. The point means Sligo remain in the bottom four and are still looking for their first league win of the season. They will no doubt be hoping that it comes next Saturday when they entertain Cobh at the Showgrounds. Being at home UCD would have been looking to pick up full points but as things stand at this early stage they will be reasonably content with the draw. They move into the top half of the table and for the time being at least are ahead of four full time professional outfits - Drogheda, Cork, Sligo and Galway.

UCD: Matt Gregg; Alan Mahon, Conor Kenna, Brian Shortall, Killian Gallagher; Alan McNally, Brian King, Ronan Finn, Pat McWalter; Darren Forsyth (Shane Fitzgerald 61), Timmy Purcell.
Subs not used: Pat Mullins, John Reilly, Greg Bolger.

Booked: None.

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Seamus Coleman, Jamie McKenzie, Mauro Almeida, Danny Ventre; Anthony Murphy (Alan Moore 74), Conor O'Grady, Romauld Boco, Raf Cretaro (Sean Doherty 61); Matthew Judge, Fahrudin Kudozovic (Brian Cash 64).
Subs not used: Patrick Jennings, Steve Feeney.

Booked: O'Grady.

Referee: Declan Hanney.
Attendance: 525