UCD 2 - 1 Galway United

UCD guaranteed themselves Premier Division football for 2012 on Monday night as they got the three points they needed against Galway United to ensure they cannot now be caught by the Division’s bottom club.

Conditions at Belfield were far from ideal with a gale force wind whipping down the length of the pitch, assisting the visitors for the opening half and causing a few nervous moments for UCD ‘keeper Ger Barron.

The lively Mikey Gilmore ran onto a through ball after ten minutes and fired the game’s first serious shot into the UCD side netting. Two minutes later Alan Murphy received a wind assisted kick out from Conor Winn wide on the Galway right, but his tame effort was easily collected by Ger Barron at his near post.

It wasn’t until the 27th minute that Galway began to fully appreciate the advantage that the wind was offering and Murphy tried his luck from distance, his shot flying just over Barron’s crossbar. Bobby Ryan had an almost identical effort three minutes later.

But it was the home side that played the better football and they were the ones who created the better chances. Robbie Creevy, creative throughout from central midfield, released Darren Meenan on 23 minutes but the winger failed to bend the ball around the out-rushing Winn, who blocked well at the edge of his box.

A sliding challenge from Laurence Gaughan denied Robbie Benson on 37 minutes and Dean Marshall ballooned his follow up effort well over. But, as half time approached, the Students started to turn the screw.

A beautifully flighted cross from Sean Russell on 41 minutes only just eluded Meenan in the centre and on the stroke of half time Creevy again released Meenan only for Benson to crack his pull-back onto the Galway crossbar and over.

UCD started the second half well, but it was Galway who broke the deadlock just seven minutes in, Oscar Sibanda applying a somewhat ungainly header to Bobby Ryan’s corner and forcing the ball over the UCD line from eight yards.

But, with Robbie Creevy orchestrating their midfield with vision and accuracy, UCD continued to create chances. Creevy sent Belhout through on 54 minutes but the striker pulled his shot well behind Winn’s goal and shortly after that Marshall met a cross from the left and glanced his header narrowly wide.

On the hour mark Martin Russell sent Chris Lyons on in place of Meenan and one minute later the young sub was celebrating an equaliser. Shooting from just inside the box, Lyon’s effort took a slight deflection off Eric Brown, sneaking beyond the grasp of Winn and into the Galway net.

Suddenly Galway looked vulnerable and it took just four more minutes for the tie to slip from their hands. Sean Russell delivered a wicked cross from the left and Laurence Gaughan stretched to make a defensive header that only succeeded in slipping past the wrong-footed Winn and into his own net.

The turn around in fortunes seemed cruelly in tune with Galway’s season so far but new manager John Brennan will take heart from the fact that his side went on to create several opportunities to equalise, while it must also be conceded that UCD had further opportunities to extend their lead.

In the final minutes Alan Murphy pulled a ball across goal that was marginally too far ahead of Ronan Cauldwell and an empty net. There were also loud calls for handball as Paul Corry defended a dropping ball inside his own box, and Eric Brown collided painfully with Ger Barron as he flung himself at a cross from the right flank.

But in the end UCD deserved their win. John ‘Jumbo’ Brennan will surely have to take his new charges through a relegation play-off at the season’s end but he will have seen enough to know that his side have enough about them to take a point or two more before then.

UCD: Ger Barron; Paul O’Conor, Mick Leahy, Thomas Boyle, Sean Russell; Dean Marshall, Robbie Creevy, Robbie Benson (Daniel Ledwith, 77), Paul Corry, Darren Meenan (Chris Lyons, 61); Samir Belhout (Stephen Doyle, 73).
Subs not used: Mark McGinley, Barry McCabe, Hugh Douglas, James Kavanagh.
Bookings: Belhout (72).

Galway United: Conor Winn; Paul Sinnott (Rory Gartlan, 87), Yob Son, Laurence Gaughan, Eduardo Dusi (Stephen Walsh, 79); Oscar Sibanda, Bobby Ryan, Eric Brown, Gary Kelly, Mikey Gilmore (Ronan Cauldwell, 71); Alan Murphy.
Subs not used: John Egan.
Bookings: Yob Son (39), Sibanda (86).

Referee: Paul McLoughlin.
Attendance: 250 (estimate).
extratime.ie Man of the Match: Robbie Creevy, top class throughout.