- Dave Donnelly
- Fri, Mar 11 2016
UCD secured their first points of the season with a 2-1 victory over Cabinteely in an exciting game in Belfield.
The Students got off to an ideal start as defender Maxi Kouogun, for the second game running, headed them into an early lead, and Collie O'Neill's men controlled the majority of the game thereafter.
Ben Hanrahn levelled for Cabo against the run of play 25 minutes from time but, after Oscar Brennan was sent off for two bookings in quick success, Georgie Kelly nabbed his first UCD goal to seal a deserved three points.
The hosts made just one change from the side beaten 4-1 in Limerick, with Kelly coming in for Brian Shortall after his red card last week, bringing the average age of the side down to 22.
Cabo boss Eddie Gormley stuck with the XI who ran out deserved 2-1 winners over Athlone Town, with seven teenagers starting for an average age of just 19 – or 20-and-a-half across the two teams.
Neither side established any clear superiority in the opening stages, but that changed when Cabo goalkeeper Michael Kelly misjudged Marty Waters' corner, and the ball was headed back across for Kouogun to nod into an empty net.
Cabo could have equalised straight from the restart as a strong run from Joe Doyle led him to pick out Stephen Hanley, only for a fine interception from Dan Tobin to deny him the chance to shoot.
Kelly redeemed himself somewhat as he turned a dipping Gary O'Neill free kick over the bar, before another deep corner from Waters again found Kouogun, but this time his square header was scrambled clear.
Cabo should have drawn level with the final kick of the half as Hanley latched onto Hanrahan's deft flick and raced in on goal, but Corbett came out quickly to block the low effort wth his feet.
Gormley sent his side out for the second half with a renewed sense of purpose and they had more of the play, but the contest became increasingly one-sided as UCD pressed and peppered Kelly with shots, as first Waters and then Dylan Watts went close.
The equaliser came against the run of play as a long ball from the right caught out UCD centre-half Ryan McLaughlin. Hanley crossed for Hanrahan who had enough time to compose himself and beat Corbett from close distance.
The Students might have re-taken the lead immediately as Ryan Swan broke clear, but he dragged his shot wide from a tight angle, and O'Neill should have scored with a free header from Waters' free-kick, but he steered it straight at Kelly.
The game swung when rangy midfielder Brennan received two yellow cards in quick succession for fouls on Watts and O'Neill, and he didn't bother to protest as referee Michael Connolly pulled out the red card.
The game opened up considerably as UCD went in search of a winner, and Kouogun forced another save from Kelly before Waters tested the keeper's reflexes from distance.
The pressure eventually told with seven minutes remaining as Swan played in Kelly, and the Donegal man cut his shot across Kelly and the ball trickled into the corner of the net to earn a deserved first win of the season for Collie O'Neill's charges.
UCD AFC: Niall Corbett; Daniel Tobin, Ryan McLaughlin, Maxi Kougoun, Mark Langtry; Dylan Watts, Gary O'Neill, Cathal Brady; Georgie Kelly, Marty Waters (Jack Watson 86); Ryan Swan.
Subs not used: Karl Skinner (gk), Adam Harney, Sean Coyne, Jason McClelland, Samir Belhout, Robert Manley.
Booked: Dylan Watts (69).
Cabinteely: Michael Kelly; Karl Byrne, Edward McDonagh, Andrew Wall, Kevin Knight; Shane Boyle, Oscar Brennan, Joe Doyle (Sean Burke 79), Michael Brown (Darren Clarke 68); Ben Hanrahan, Stephen Hanley (Mark Slater 68).
Subs not used: Cathal Gillen (gk), Lee Mitchell, Aaron Brilly, Oliver Hamzat.
Booked: Shane Boyle (37), Kevin Knight (56), Oscar Brennan (72+74), Darren Clarke (84).
Sent off: Oscar Brennan (74).
Referee: Michael Connolly.
Attendance: 226.
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Marty Waters (UCD).
