| UCD end Rovers unbeaten home record |
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| Friday, 04 August 2006 | |
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Sligo Rovers lost their unbeaten home run tonight in The Showgrounds against a UCD side that clung on to take all three points. The visitors were well worth the lead at the end of the first forty five minutes, but the home side had more than enough opportunities to take at least a share of the spoils. Sligo Rovers 0 - 1 UCD Friday 4 August, The Showgrounds New signing Brian Cash made his first start whilst the other transfer window additions, Harpal Singh and Choice Aisien began on the bench. Chris Turner was also rested having starred for the Northern Irish under 19 side in the Milk Cup this week. The visitors began the livelier with Finn and Sammon proving to be the main threat during a first half that the students dominated as Rovers struggled to find the pace. It was on seven minutes that UCD had the first chance of the game. A Finn flick to the pacy Sammon allowed him to get past McNamara but Foy got back to smother the shot. Rovers were slow to get into a rhythm despite the best efforts of the lively Cash and it wasn’t until the eighteenth minute that they forced Quigley into action when an O’Grady free-kick just over the half-way line on the stand side was glanced goal-ward by the well-positioned ‘keeper who gathered easily. The battle-lines were drawn with UCD quick on the break, and Rovers proving over elaborate in their build, tending to over play the ball in the final third. The Bit O’Red were finally punished on the counter-attack in the forty first minute when Sammon flicked the ball out to Crowley on the right, made his way into the box and headed Crowley’s cross unchallenged into the box. The Bit O’Red came close to an equaliser moments later, when Cash fired a shot from the edge of the box that scorched past the post. UCD almost extended the lead before the break as Rovers defence were in disarray when a Mahon cross bobbled across the box, hit the upright a couple of times from Doyle until Finn’s effort from the edge of the box went narrowly wide. Rovers looked to have shaken off the cobwebs in the early stages of the second half with a Mansaram effort and the introduction of Aisien getting the crowd moving off the pitch and it looked to be going in the right direction on the field when, in the fifty fourth minute, Kudozovic was pulled down in the box by Mahon. However, Keith Foy’s poor penalty was saved by the advancing Quigley and the opportunity was lost. Foy doesn’t lie down though and his pin-point cross in the sixty-fourth minute almost reaped rewards but Hughes header was tipped over by the ‘keeper. Unfortunately this phase of the game elicited more screams of excitement in the fun-fair next door as neither team managed to make an impression. And with a quarter of an hour remaining, Sean Connor had played all his cards as he switched to a three five two formation when Turner replaced Foy. There was more urgency in the home side’s play, and in the eightieth minute, Adam Hughes was stretching backwards as he headed over when Mansaram seemed to be the better option behind the Australian. Rovers pressed forward, forcing corners but found it hard to break down the resolute visitors. Just as the crowd were told their was five minutes of stoppage time, Sammon found himself in acres of space in the Rovers half with an army of defenders chasing him, but it was Brush who narrowed the angles superbly to keep his team in with a shout. Unfortunately for the Bit O’Red it wasn’t their night, and the proud unbeaten run, stretching back a year was at an end. Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush, Gavin Peers, Keith Foy (Chris Turner 72 min), Michael McNamara, Conor O’Grady, Adam Hughes, Fahrudin Kudozovic, Darren Mansaram, Matthew Judge (Choice Aisien 50 min), Brian Cash (Harpal Singh 59 min), Jamie McKenzie Subs not used:Gary Curran, John O’Hara UCD: Darren Quigley, Alan Mahon, Conor Kenna, Paul Crowley, Alan McNally, Tony McDonnell (Brian Shorthall 85 min), Patrick McWalter, Gary Dicker, Conor Sammon, Ronan Finn, Derek Doyle Subs not used: Paul Byrne, Patrick Kavanagh, , Darragh Ryan, James Hussey Referee: Derrick Hancock Bookings: Sligo Rovers: Adam Hughes UCD: Derek Doyle, Patrick McWalter Report by Paraic Casey |
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