Drogheda United 0-3 U.C.D.
- P.J. Murray
- Sat, Mar 06 2010
UCD ended last season top of the First Division and thanks to a brace from Ciaran Kilduff either side of a Greg Bolger strike they begin this season top of the Premier Division.
In what was effectively the Chris Mulhall and Ciaran Kilduff show Drogheda were run ragged by the duo as UCD stamped their authority on the game from the off.
After only four minutes the pair almost put the Students ahead, Mulhall crossing from the deep right which was met by the rising Kilduff who sent the effort over the bar. It was to be the first of many interchanges between the two, many of which ended in failure.
The Students looked to have had the ball in the net when Kilduff was clean through facing an onrushing Paul Skinner, but his neat lob rebounded off the underside of the crossbar and was hacked away by the Drogheda rearguard.
Drogheda barely featured in the first half, their only chance coming on ten minutes when Glen Fitzpatrick lofted a cross into the box which was chested down by John Flood and laid off to Brendan McGill whose shot is saved by Brennan.
If there were any positives to be taken from the Drogheda perspective it was the performance of Flood who regularly dropped back to midfield to collect the ball and attempt to generate some movement from there.
UCD opened the scoring on the hour mark, after missing from five yards with an almost open goal Kilduff finally hit the target for Martin Russell’s side.
His pace proving too much for Jamie Harris, the speedy striker fended off Harris as he rounded him to shoot low past Skinner.
The visitors doubled their lead five minutes later as Keith Ward picked Mulhall out with an incisive pass and the midfielder steamed into the void left in the centre of defence before rifling his shot home.
After the quick fire double salvo the result was pretty much academic as Drogheda never looked like getting anything from the clash.
Kilduff eventually ended the rout on 90 minutes to add salt to the wounds as some dalliance in the Drogheda midfield allowed the lurking striker to take possession and a quick turn of foot saw him speed toward goal and wrong foot Skinner with a little flick to the bottom left corner.
Drogheda manager Alan Mathews had aspirations of finishing fifth in the table, given the performance by the players another relegation dogfight may be on the cards.
Drogheda United: Skinner; Treacy, McNally, Harris, Kendrick; Eric McGill (O’Connor 86), Brendan McGill (Duffy 76), Martin (Crowley 63), Daly; Flood, Fitzpatrick.
Subs Not Used: Murphy, King.
UCD: Brennan; Harding, Nangle, Boyle, Shortall; Bolger, Mulhall, Ward (Fitzgerald 85), Roche (Corry 85); Kilduff, Rusk.
Subs Not Used: Leahy, McMillan, McGinley.
Ref: Declan Hanney.
Extratime.ie Man of The Match: Ciaran Kilduff.
P.J. generally covers Drogheda games at HD Park and can generally be found at any Dublin ground when of a loose end on a Friday night.
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