As the sun set over one of Dublin’s most beautiful days of the year, onlookers at UCD Bowl hoped that the pink and purple sky would set the tone for a colourful game. The ninety minutes that followed didn’t quite live up to the horizon hype, but the
As the sun set over one of Dublin’s most beautiful days of the year, onlookers at UCD Bowl hoped that the pink and purple sky would set the tone for a colourful game.
The ninety minutes that followed didn’t quite live up to the horizon hype, but there were some strong sparks within the game regardless.
And it was the home side that started brighter. Barely ten minutes in and Jason McLelland took it upon himself to attack and cut inside from the left. His sweet strike from the corner of the box took a sharp knock off Stephen Walsh and trickled into the back of the net to put UCD in front. The deflection was deemed insufficient in strength to attain OG status however, and the goal awarded to the UCD number 11.
It didn’t take much longer for UCD to strike again. A neat dink across the box from Daniel Tobin was met expertly by the head of Georgie Kelly, who rose highest to direct the ball perfectly into the top left hand corner of the goal.
While UCD were superior in terms of ball retention throughout the first half, Longford still had their chances. Two in particular, they will look back on with regret. David O’Sullivan raced on to a through ball on first instance, but pulled his shot just wide of the left hand post. Their second best chance coming then through a set piece, Jake Kelly’s corner met with the deft touch of Cody Mulhall. But Niall Corbett in the UCD goal was equal to the task, finger-tipping the ball over in style.
The introduction of Enda Curran and Don Cowan for the visitors in the second half lifted the visiting crowd’s hopes significantly. Cowen in particular looked determined to leave his mark with strong running and an undeterrable desire to take on his man.
Where UCD had dominated midfield in the opening half through the commandment of the impressive Greg Sloggett, Longford took the reins in the second forty-five, Kevin O’Connor in particular taking control.
But despite huge pressure on the UCD goal, they simply couldn’t convert. Perhaps their best chance in the latter half a fiery cross from O’Connor resulting in Curran missing making contact by centimetres, less than three metres from the goal line.
Credit can go to Longford for not accepting defeat right up until the final whistle. Attempts on goal from Kelly, Friel and O’Sullivan, however, just could not find the back of the net.
UCD had few chances in between such efforts, but one of those that they did create was the highlight of the game. Cian Kavanagh, thirty yards out, made an impeccable connection on a dropping ball, and his volley which clipped the crossbar was accompanied by gasps from the crowd.
UCD will be happy with the three points, but they showed vulnerability at times which will need to be fixed in order to reach their aspirations this year. Longford, on the other hand, know they could have gotten more from this game.
