- Stephen Pollard
- Mon, Aug 18 2014
All even at the UCD Bowl as strugglers UCD and Athlone Town played out a one-one draw in the capital on Monday night.
The students opened the scoring in the first half through Conor Cannon before a second half John Mulroy strike ensured a share of the spoils.
After a tight and cagey opening nine minutes, the exuberance of youth gave the Students the lead. Experienced head Ian Ryan first misplaced a long pass to give the visitors a throw in.
From that, the eagerness to work from Ayman Ben Mohamed dispossessed Kealan Dillon. The 19 year-old galloped gracefully beyond Dylan Hayes before feeding Cannon.
With that, five days before his twentieth birthday, the flame haired striker finished powerfully beyond Colin Farrell doppelganger Ryan Coulter.
Seven minutes later, UCD’s talismanic skipper Robbie Benson went close to a goal of the season contender. Picking up the ball in midfield, he left four Town defenders in his wake but his final effort was keenly swiped away by Coulter.
Midway through the half the men in Orange were fingertips away from an equaliser. John Mulroy won the ball on the left and fed it into Mark Hughes in the box.
The midfielder laid it off to wide man Derek Doyle, who let fly. It was creeping into the bottom corner only for outstanding keeper Conor O’Donnell to tip the ball around the post to safety.
Athlone started the second period a bit sprightlier than they had the first. Barely three minutes into the half, Dillon charged forward passing to James O’Brien at the edge of the area. He struck a high drive that looped over O’Donnell’s cross bar.
Cannon looked like the striker the Students had been missing since injury to Dean Clarke and the departure of Cillian Morrison, and it was his hold up play which provided the next opening.
He cushioned the ball off to the on rushing Robbie Creevy and after a touch he pulled a decent opportunity wide of the Athlone post.
They were made to pay for that miss just moments later. Hughes broke down the right and powered his way into the area before cutting the ball into the path of Mulroy.
His effort was tame but it drew a mistake from the usually reliable O’Donnell and the ball trickled agonisingly over the line to draw the strugglers level.
Twenty minutes from time, the left sided magic man almost waved his wand to great effect again. Benson fed Ben Mohamed and after swivelling his hips in a Ryan Giggs circa 1999 fashion and rattling the post with a stinging drive.
If the Students are to avoid the drop, surely Benson is vital and he almost showed just how much fifteen minutes from time. James Kavanagh chipped a delightful pass beyond Derek Prendergast but the former Town man Benson’s volley was just off target.
There seemed a real eagerness from both sides to find a winner, and when sub Ian Sweeney broke through, it looked as if the lead would be Athlone’s. His effort was decent but O’Donnell went some way to redeeming himself with a fine save.
As the visitors pushed, they failed to create clear openings. Their best two chances as the final moments approached came from curling efforts from Sweeney and Mulroy which both dipped too high to force any action out of O’Donnell.
That was as close as either side came to the three points in the end as Athlone remain rooted to the bottom of the Airtricity League Premier Division table. The hosts maintain unsafely 10th on goal difference ahead of Bray Wanderers.
UCD: Conor O’Donnell; Hugh Douglas, James Kavanagh, Ian Ryan, Gareth Matthews; Robbie Creevy, Robbie Benson; Timmy Molloy (Colm Crowe 46) , Samir Belhout, Ayman Ben Mohamed (Chris Mulhall 82); Conor Cannon (Thomas O’Halloran 84).
Subs not used: Niall Corbet (GK), Sean Coyne, Greg Sloggett, Gary Burke.
Athlone Town: Ryan Coulter; Dylan Hayes, Declan Brennan, Derek Prendergast, Kevin Knight; Kealan Dillon (Dean Ebbe 90), Mark Hughes, James O’Brien (Eric Foley 64); Derek Doyle, Sean Brennan (Ian Sweeney 64); John Mulroy.
Subs not used: Paul Skinner (GK), Roddy Collins, Brian Shorthall, Thomas Mulroney.
Booked: Foley (71), Mulroy (86), Hayes (90).
Referee: Paul Tuite
Attendance: 291
Extratime.ie Man of the match: Mark Hughes (Athlone Town)
