League Report: UCD 0-0 Finn Harps

Sam McKeever reporting from the UCD Bowl

UCD and Finn Harps played out a scoreless draw at the UCD Bowl on Friday night as both sides were looking to get there first points of the new season.

In the opening 15 minutes there was very little between the teams in terms of clear cut chances. A Liam Kerrigan deep free-kick from the left missed everyone in the box before just going past Mark McGinley’s right hand post was the only real half chance in the opening quarter of an hour.

Soon after former Waterford and Bohemians midfielder Bastien Hery played a good ball to the back post from the left wing which found former Shamrock Rovers man Dave Webster but his header was poor and didn’t trouble Lorcan Healy in the UCD goal.

It was the away side that had the first real shot in anger as a cross from the left caused a bit of havoc in the Student’s box before Yoyo Mahdy swivelled between two defenders to get a good shot on goal with his right foot leaving Healy to be alert to push the ball around his right hand post. 

A mistake from UCD defend Eric Yoro was pounced on by Harps midfielder Barry McNamee who was straight through on goal but took to long to pull the trigger giving keeper Healy enough time to close the angle and the eventual shot.

The away side came out the stronger in the second half as former UCD striker Mahdy fizzed a cross across the box from the right-hand side which found McNamee on the left whose hard shot stung the hands of Healy before the Students' keeper was able to recover the ball just moments later.

Ollie Horgan’s men should have broken the deadlock on 52 minutes- a powerful run on the left from McNamee got him into a great position before putting in a fantastic cross to find Filip Mihaljevic at the back post but the striker's header was saved by the feet of Healy at close range.

The Students had their first real chance just before the hour mark, Evan Caffrey pounced on a mistake by the Finn Harps defence before trying an ambitious lob over Mark McGinley in the Harps goal with his effort coming back off the bar and out of play.

Students’ striker Colm Whelan drove at the Harps defence just a few minutes later and he looked to be fouled by defender Dave Webster but referee David Dunne adjudged Whelan to have dived in the box and proceeded to give the striker a yellow card in the process.

The away side came close again to scoring with 15 minutes to go as a long Ethan Boyle throw found a Finn Harps players at the front post his flick found Mihaljevic whose snapshot just went past the left-hand post of the UCD keeper.

UCD: Lorcan Healy; John Ryan, Eric Yoro, Sam Todd, Daniel Norris; Jack Keaney, Sean Brennan, Evan Caffrey Dylan Duffy(Mark Dignam 54); Liam Kerrigan, Colm Whelan

Subs not used: Luke Boore, Alex Dunne, Lennon Gill, Adam Lennon, Bradley Rogers, Kian Moore, Adam Verdon, Donal Higgins

Bookings: Jack Keaney (4), Sean Brennan (54), Colm Whelan (73)

Finn Harps: Mark McGinley; Regan Donelon, Dave Webster,Ryan Connolly, Yoyo Mahdy; Barry McNamee, Jose Carillo, Bastien Hery(Ryan Rainey 65); Ethan Boyle, Filip Mihaljevic(Eric McWoods 78), Elie N’Zeyi

Subs not used: Conor Tourish, Jesse Devers, Mark Timlin, Luke Rudden, Nathan LogueStephen Black, Gavin Mulreany

Bookings: Ryan Connolly (91)

Referee: David Dunne

Man of the Match: Barry McNamee (Harps)