A Season in Review - UCD

League: 9th

FAI CUP: Third Round

EA Sports Cup: Third Round

Player of the season: Mick Leahy

Young player of the season: Hugh Douglas

Top scorer: David McMillan and Graham Rusk (both seven).

Goal of the season

Dave McMillan’s wonder strike against Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght.

Highlight of the season

With only one win in their first eleven league games, UCD went into their home tie with Sligo Rovers as 11/2 outsiders in May.  The Students hadn’t read the script however, and inspired by Paul Corry in midfield and courtesy of a Graham Rusk header they held out for a memorable 1-0 win. Aside from the final two games of the season (when Sligo had arguably already won the league) this was the only league defeat the eventual league champions suffered in 2012.

Lowlight of the season 

The Sligo win was both preceded and followed by seven game winless streaks in the league. All the while Martin Russell’s men were keeping the ball on the deck and producing good football, but could not get the three points.

Thankfully for UCD though, the football God’s reacted favourably to Russell’s attractive brand of football and the wins finally came.  Heralded by the arrival of David McMillan (and ironically by the departure of star player Paul Corry to Sheffield Wednesday) the wins eventually came. A run of six wins from seven games left the Students safe with games to spare.

Campaign Summary

The season started with great promise, a 1-0 win against 2011’s First Division champions Cork City. Unfortunately this was not a sign of things to come, and for a while, moral victories were the only victories in Belfield.

Commendable draws against Drogheda United, Derry City and Shamrock Rovers  helped keep the Students in touch with other teams around them, but a rare victory at home to Monaghan was later expunged, and it seemed all luck was beginning to desert UCD.

It wasn’t until the second half of the season that Russell’s charges persistence with passing football paid off. The July return of McMillan gave UCD more of a clinical presence in front of goal, and the wins came. Life post-Paul Corry was not as bad as first feared.

August brought about a change of fortune and a 2-1 win away to Shelbourne was the start of an Indian Summer for Martin Russell’s men. Wins at home to Cork City and Drogheda United as well as away to Derry City aided the cause, but it was back to back victories in the sixpointers against fellow strugglers Bray Wanderers and Dundalk that ultimately secured top flight football for 2013.

Next Year 

UCD will be looking to carry their end of season form into the new season. They will have to do so without many of their star performers from last year

Already they have lost Paul O’Conor and Graham Rusk to Drogheda United, while Danny Ledwith (Shamrock Rovers), Ciaran Nangle and Chris Lyons (both Bohemians) have also departed the Belfield Bowl.

In particular, O’Conor will be missed. In 2012 the 25 year old was the engine in midfield for the Students and was always on hand when they needed someone to get their foot on the ball.

McMillan looks likely to stay however, and his goals (seven from 15 league games in 2012) will be vital. It was no coincidence that UCD’s best spell of the season came after his return

Hugh Douglas, having only completed his Leaving Cert in 2012, certainly has a bright future ahead of him. Having started the year by collecting the FAI’s U18 International Schools Player of the Year accolade, Douglas went on to feature 24 times for UCD in the league.

Russell will be hoping to keep hold of players like Douglas and captain / player of the season Mick Leahy as he starts to rebuild his team.

Traditionally UCD have had a knack of producing promising and exciting young players. The league is littered with players who have played for UCD – Ronan Finn a shining example of one of the standout talents in the league this year.

The Students will have to replace the key players they have lost and Russell will need to continue to introduce fresh talent into the team. The history books show that there is no reason to think this trend won’t continue with more talent to come off “the production line” in Belfield.