UCD 1 - 4 Shamrock Rovers

• Gareth O'Reilly
• Sat, Oct 19 2013




UCD's relegation trouble worsened on Friday night as they went down four goals to one against a well drilled Shamrock Rovers outfit. The Hoops had Thomas Stewart, Shane Robinson and Gary McCabe, who netted twice, to thank for securing the three points.


The result leaves UCD in a perilously insecure situation heading into their final league game next Friday against the already relegated Shelbourne. Rovers remain in fifth although they have managed to close the gap on Derry in fourth to just the solitary point.


The first major chance of the game came after just one minute of play, a great through ball found Robbie Creevy striding through on goal however his first touch was poor and Richard Brush managed to get out and smother the danger.


Inside ten minutes Shane Robinson gave Rovers the lead. UCD's defending for the goal will not have pleased boss Martin Russell as Gary McCabe comfortably beat Sean Coyne down the right wing before floating a ball across the box allowing Robinson to tap in from six yards out.


Rovers went further in front just over sixty seconds later when Gary McCabe slotted home a penalty. The spot kick was awarded after goalkeeper Conor O'Donnell brought down Thomas Stewart with the UCD keeper lucky to escape a card for the offence.


With five minutes to go till half time UCD finally managed to muster up a chance of their own. Front men Benson and Clarke combined well to allow the former FAI schoolboy player of the year in Robbie Benson to force Richard Brush to parry the ball clear. The ball was then worked back to Barry McCabe who had a decent snapshot but unfortunately for the home support his shot went sailing over the Rovers bar.


Manager Martin Russell was clearly unimpressed with his charges in the first-half as he made two half-time substitutions introducing James Kavanagh and Tom O'Halloran.


Rovers fans thought they had the ball in the back of the net just five minutes after the interval when Thomas Stewart latched onto a spill from Conor O'Donnell only for assistant referee Daren Carey to raise his flag for offside.


UCD finally did manage to get one back just moments after when Robbie Benson bundled the ball home in a crowded six yard box. The ball was crossed in from a corner by Tom O'Halloran and with countless Rovers and UCD players inside the six yard box Benson managed to get the vital connection to steer the ball past Richard Brush.


However the comeback attempt from the hosts didn't last long as Gary McCabe scored his second of the game with a well taken goal from 20 yards out although Martin Russell will likely be wondering how McCabe was allowed to travel such a distance unchallenged.


Just like in the first-half Rovers scored twice once again in quick succession as just two minutes later Thomas Stewart gave the visitors a 4-1 advantage. Conor O'Donnell could only parry the original long range effort from Shane Robinson allowing Thomas Stewart to latch in and convert into an open net.


With some fans heading for the exits five minutes early the relatively small crowd nearly witnessed a moment of magic from Robbie Creevy as he attempted to bend one over Richard Brush from thirty yards out. The danger wasn't cleared there as the ball cannoned back off the crossbar with the rebound falling to O'Halloran but Brush managed to scramble across his goal line to perform a fantastic last gasp diving save.


That was how it finished with Rovers knowing that they have managed to bring it to the final weekend for the race to finish fourth whilst UCD know that a win on the final day of the season may still not be enough to save them from a relegation play off.

 

 

UCD: Conor O'Donnell; Mark Langtry, David O'Connor, Michael Leahy, Sean Coyne (Tom O'Halloran 46); Barry McCabe, Robbie Creevy, Robbie Benson, Craig Walsh (James Kavanagh 46), Sean Russell; Dean Clarke,.
Subs not used: Ger Barron, Michael Kelly, Thomas Boyle, Gary Burke, Samir Belhout.

Booked: Langtry (72)

 

Shamrock Rovers: Richard Brush; Pat Sullivan, Jason McGuiness, Derek Foran, Conor Powell; Gary McCabe, Shane Robinson, Ronan Finn, Richie Ryan (Stephen Rice 46), Sean O'Connor; Thomas Stewart.
Subs not used: Barry Murphy, David Elebert, Danny Ledwith, Karl Sheppard, James Chambers, Billy Dennehy.

Booked: Shane Robinson (67)



Referee: Kevin O'Regan

Attendance: 452

Man Of The Match: Gary McCabe (Shamrock Rovers).