FAI Cup Preview: UCD -v- Longford Town

Action from the pre-season friendly in Belfield between the sides back in February

Action from the pre-season friendly in Belfield between the sides back in February Credit: Martin Doherty (ETPhotos)

UCD

UCD will start the journey of trying to emulate the Class of ’84 when they stride out onto the UCD Bowl pitch to face Longford Town in the second round of the FAI Cup on Friday night.

The FAI Cup has been in existence since 1921 when St James Gate won the inaugural competition. UCD only entered for the first time in 1979 and their one and only success was in 1984.

Kern O Doherty, Keith Dignam and Joe Hanrahan were some of the star players who helped the student’s beat Shamrock Rovers 2-1 (in a replay at Tolka Park, the first game at Dalymount Park ended 0-0) 37 years ago.

It will be the likes of Colm Whelan, Sam Todd and Liam Kerrigan who will be looking to etch their names into history when they line out at the Bowl this weekend.

UCD’s league form this year has been highly impressive and they currently sit in joint third position alongside Treaty United and Bray Wanderers on 33 points, very much in contention for a promotion play-off spot at the end of the season.

They have the best goal scoring record in the First Division, even better than that of the two teams above them in the league (Shelbourne and Galway United), having amassed 40 goals so far this season.

Irish under-21 International Colm Whelan has been the standout player for Andy Myler’s side this year and he is currently the leading scorer with 15 goals.

The Students come into this FAI Cup match on the back of an excellent run of form, having only conceded three goals while scoring 12 in their last six outings, only one of which resulted in a defeat.

They reached the second-round stage by way of a 2-0 home win against Shelbourne - Colm Whelan and Harvey O’ Brien being their goal scorers on the night.



LONGFORD TOWN

Longford Town will be hoping that the 2021 League season finishes as quickly as possible as they have been rooted to the bottom of the table for most of the year and are destined for the automatic trap door back to the First Division for the 2021/22 season.

Their only hope of salvation this year is a decent run in the FAI Cup but with only one league win to their credit all year and facing the free scoring UCD, the odds are very much stacked against them making it onto the quarter final.

Longford won back-to-back FAI Cups in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, with Dessie Baker, Alan Kirby, Graham Gartland and Vinny Perth being some of the driving forces behind those glorious years in the club’s history.

Present day team members Rob Manley, Aodh Dervan, Dean Zambra and Shane Elworthy will be intent on writing their own names into the history books of Longford Town on Friday night as will manager Daire Doyle who spoke to the media about the game earlier this week.

“The Cup is a welcome break for us as it gives us a chance to get into a quarter final,” said Doyle. “It’s a good UCD side and we will need to be at it because if you don’t you will get turned over.



“We prepare correctly all week to give ourselves a chance of getting into that quarter final. I have great belief in our group of players. All of our focus is going to try to win this match, we have to just react to what is in front of us and see where it takes us ‘’

Longford did record a very good first round win over Leinster Senior League team Bangor GCFC, winning 5-0 courtesy of goals from Dean Williams, Dylan Grimes, Darragh Nugent, Callum Warfield and Aaron O’ Driscoll.

Referee: Adriano Reale

MATCH STATS

The last meeting between these two sides was the First Division play off on 31st October 2020. In a dramatic finale to the 2020 First Division league campaign, UCD scored two goals courtesy of Colm Whelan and Yousef Mahdy and Longford responded with two goals from Joe Gorman.

Dean Byrne was the hero for Longford on the night as his 121st minute goal secured both the play-off victory but more importantly promotion to the Premier Division for Daire Doyle’s side.

The two sides played a pre-season friendly in Belfield back in February with the Student winning 2-1.

BETTING

UCD 5/4; Draw 23/10; Longford Town 7/4

PREDICTION

UCD 3 - 0 Longford Town

UCD

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Longford Town

Injured: Shane Elworthy, Dean Byrne.

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

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