Credit:
UCD 0 - 1 Wexford Youths
- Lloyd Murphy
- Sat, Apr 18 2009
Photos by Ed Scannell
UCD’s winning streak came to an abrupt end at the Belfield Bowl tonight as the Wexford Youths ran out deserved 1-0 winners. The Youths broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time after Liam O’Loughlin’s sweet strike on the edge of the box flew past Gerrard Barron in UCD goals.
The Wexford fans were in great voice as their team were on top in the opening stages. The Students started sluggishly as they looked a shadow of the team that have started this season so well.
Ciaran Kilduff had UCD’s first real chance of the game after Patrick Holden failed to deal with Chris Mulhall’s cross, but Kilduff failed to capitalise as Holden gathered the ball at the second attempt.
The Youths continued to up the tempo, as they looked for the opener, using the pace of their wide men and playing balls in behind the Students defence. They hassled and harried the UCD men not giving them any time or space on the ball.
Wexford should have scored on 18 minutes after Gavin Doyle’s header was scrambled off the line by the UCD defence. Gerard Barron failed to deal with a cross from the left, which was headed onto the crossbar, and the rebound from Doyle was unlucky not to have crossed the line.
The Students never got going in the opening 20 minutes as they lost a lot of possession and lacked the creativity and cutting-edge they have relied on so well this season. Their talisman Ronan Finn was very quiet for his usual standards, as the students had only a handful of half chances to show for their exploits in the first half.
The visitors grew in stature as the half went on, and were repaid for their persistence on the 40th minute when Liam O’Loughlin deservedly put the Youths ahead.
A cross from the left was met by the head of Evan McMillan ,who could only divert his header into the path of O’Loughlin on the edge of the box and he volleyed the ball home past Barron in the UCD goals. There was the slightest of deflections on the strike, but the keeper could do nothing about it.
The Youths should of made it two nil minutes later as Keith Kearney ghosted in at the back post only to see a certain goal, brilliantly saved by the reflexes of Barron.
The Students were lucky to be only one nil down at half time as the referee blew the whistle.
UCD made the one change at the break, bringing on Keith Ward to replace David McMillan. Martin Russell’s half-time team talk seemed to have inspired his players as they started the second half a different team.
They upped their tempo considerably, as they looked for an early break through. Kilduff went close in the opening five minutes, but an excellent last ditch challenge prevented him from a shooting opportunity.
The Youths didn’t sit back on their lead, and the excellent Jimmy Keohane went close on 51 minutes when his header just sailed past the post. UCD kept frantically searching for the equalizer, and continually played the long ball up to the head of Kilduff which caused little trouble to the Wexford defence.
Peter McMahon was introduced in the 65th minute in place of John Reilly, and the visitors brought on Shane Dempsey for Gavin Doyle who put in a great shift up front.
To their credit, UCD kept plugging away, but their final ball and finishing in the final third of the pitch was letting them down . Robbie Creevy had a half chance on 74 minutes as his low volley went close to nestling in the bottom corner.
The impressive Ronan Finn continued to drop deep looking for the ball, but was tightly marked by the Wexford midfield rendering him somewhat ineffective.
As the match headed into the final 10 minutes the Students pushed more and more men forward. A quick one-two down the right between Ward and McMahon resulted in the ball flashing across the six-yard box but no UCD player was there to apply the finish.
UCD continued to apply the pressure in the closing stages as the Youths gave away a number of free-kicks in dangerous positions, but they failed to make the most of these opportunities.
UCD’s first defeat of the season will be hard to take, but they can have no complaints as the Wexford Youths thoroughly deserved their hard fought victory. However, they can console themselves in still being two points clear at the top of the table.
UCD: Barron, Kelly, Nangle,Boyle, E.McMillan; Creevy, Reilly (McMahon 64), Finn,Mulhall; Kilduff, D.McMillan (Ward 45). Unused Subs: Leahy,Bolger, Brennan.Bookings: Creevy
Wexford Youths: Holden, Flynn-O’Connor, Russell, Breen, White; Sinnott, Kearney, McCurtin (Rossiter 88), O’Loughlin, Keohane; Doyle (Dempsey 70). Unused Subs: Malone, Miller, Kelly.
Referee: Tomas Connolly
extratime.ie Man of the Match: Jimmy Keohane. Calm and composed on the ball throughout. An excellent performance by the young midfielder.
About Lloyd Murphy
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