Promotion favourites UCD and Galway drew 1-1 at Belfield on Friday night. The visitors took the lead in an entertaining contest via Danny Furlong, but they held it for less than ten minutes. The first half was end to end, with both teams enjoying pu
Promotion favourites UCD and Galway drew 1-1 at Belfield on Friday night.
The visitors took the lead in an entertaining contest via Danny Furlong, but they held it for less than ten minutes. The first half was end to end, with both teams enjoying purple patches.
Daire O’Connor looked dangerous on the right for UCD, and he forced Tadhg into a couple of smart saves in the Galway goal. Georgie Kelly blasted a header over for the hosts in the 8th minute, but Galway began to get on top thereafter.
And they took the lead in the 22nd minute, as Danny Furlong poked home a Stephen Kenny cross from the right. For the second game in a row, The Students responded well to going behind. Kelly forced a great save out of Ryan in the 26th minute, after a good break by Gary O’Neill.
Five minutes later they were level. Josh Collins rose highest to head home a corner. What Ryan could do at one end, Conor Kearns could do better at the other.
Eoin McCormack had a good battle with Maxi Kouogun, before turning him. But his effort from close range was blocked by the UCD keeper. Kearns had to be alert again inside the opening five minutes of the second-half. He showed lighting reaction speed to block, after Furlong and Kouogun had slid in for the same ball.
O’Connor then had a massive chance for College, after being given too much space on the edge of the Galway box. His effort was just over Ryan’s crossbar, with the United keeper beaten. Ludden hit the side netting for the visitors shortly afterwards, before Ryan was once again equal to an effort, this time from McClelland.
Galway’s best chance fell to second-half substitute Alan Murphy. Kearns’s only mistake of the night saw him fail to deal with a cross. He flapped at it, and it fell to Murphy, but he blasted it over from eight yards. And that was the last chance, as both sides leave with a point.
