It was the near perfect first start for Conor Davis at Belfield on Friday night. After coming on as a substitute in last week’s 4-1 win over Cabinteely, the striker, recently signed from Reading, scored a goal and set up the other as UCD beat Pike Ro
It was the near perfect first start for Conor Davis at Belfield on Friday night. After coming on as a substitute in last week’s 4-1 win over Cabinteely, the striker, recently signed from Reading, scored a goal and set up the other as UCD beat Pike Rovers 2-0 in the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup.
Davis tells our reporter Peter Branigan that he was determined to impress once manager Collie O’Neill told him he was starting in mid-week.
‘It was great to start. I knew about it earlier in the week. The manager told me. So I was delighted to get the full ninety minutes, and get a goal.
‘I just tried to play my game, and I know the lads have the quality to find me. I tried my best for the team, and hopefully we can go on to do great things.’
He might have scored in the first-half, after he created space in the Rovers box, before his slight mis-hit fell kindly for Timmy Molloy to open the scoring.
There was no doubting the class involved when Davis finally did hit the net himself after the break. He cut in from the left, beating a couple of defenders, before chipping the ball over Gary Neville in the Rovers goal.
Davis says College’s style of play, coupled with their potential promotion at the end of the season, convinced him to come to Belfield.
‘I like the way UCD play. They’re a football-based team. There’s a lot of good footballers in the team who can find me up top. The movement around the front three is very fluid, so that helps me a lot.
‘I’ve settled in really well with the squad. I already knew four or five players from schoolboy football. The rest of the lads have also welcomed me in.
‘I want to play Premier Division football. That was a big aspect of me coming to UCD. I knew they were in a great position, a young team doing really well.
‘So I know clubs in England will be looking at this club if we’re in the Prem next season. And that could give me, and every one else, a great opportunity to get a chance abroad.
‘That’s the end goal.’
The Students have just four League games left for the former Templeogue United man to show what he can do, but he’s hoping a good Cup run is also on the cards.
He’s under no illusions about the battle to keep his name on the team sheet of a winning team.
‘I want to play every game, I want to play the whole game of every game. But it’s not easy. The players already here have shown their quality. So I have to be ready to take my chance when it comes.
‘Hopefully I’ll get a chance in the next Cup game.’
