Report by Liam Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, Belfield Park

UCD 3 - Sligo Rovers 0           

Sat 6 May 2006, Belfield Park

The woeful concession of an early goal from a set-piece – a wretched scour that afflicted the side’s three Premier Division games prior to their trip to Belfield Park – allowed the home side to grasp a momentum that they would never relinquish.

Already dulled by their opponents’ quicksilver start, Rovers went further behind when UCD struck a second in the 28th minute – Patrick McWalter scored with marvellous aplomb – and striker Darren Mansaram’s sending off in the 59th minute heightened the afternoon’s depressing tone.
A third UCD goal – McWalter’s exquisite finish for his second was one of 15 goal attempts created by Pete Mahon’s side – left Rovers’ Dublin trip in tatters.

Although manager Sean Connor’s charges were guilty of letting in soft goals inside the opening 15 minutes against Waterford United and Shelbourne, Saturday’s lethargy meant they were unable to mirror the organised determination that turned those respective scenarios into an encouraging win and a productive draw.

The gutsy second-half that at least made last Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Cork City palatable was never repeated against a side that should have proved conquerable.
Rovers’ capitulation – the catalyst of which was that self-inflicted body blow when Alan McNally’s header put UCD 1-0 up – was fuelled by insipid displays right through the starting 11.
Team captain Michael McNamara – part of the defence that has begun to leak goals at the most inopportune moments – at least grew in stature as the first-half evolved.

His game ended at half-time, however, as he was unable to shake off a foot injury brought about by Conor Sammon’s reckless sixth minute tackle (which went unpunished by sticky referee Neil Doyle).

In an otherwise sluggish midfield, Chris Turner, the Northern Ireland U-19 international, showed glimpses of his ability, while Ballyfarnon’s Paul McTiernan, a first-half replacement for the disappointing Matthew Judge, was the busiest of the four forwards used.
Sean Connor began with the team that finished the game in Turner’s Cross, which meant that Darren Mansaram partnered Matthew Judge in attack, the regular defensive quintet featured and the midfield quartet consisted of Adam Hughes, Conor O’Grady, Chris Turner and Fahrudin Kudozovic.

The vocal pocket of away fans had just started to get noisy when their team’s unexpected sluggishness left them momentarily silenced.

A messy sequence led to the game’s first goal. UCD’s Conor Sammon won a corner in the second minute (even though the last touch appeared to be his) and from Darragh Ryan’s superb delivery, Tony McDonnell powered a header goalwards.

Rovers goalkeeper John O’Hara’s agility was such that the ball was touched behind for another corner and from this, with just three minutes elapsed, UCD plundered an easy goal.
Ryan, the set-piece expert, guided the ball into the six-yards box and Alan McNally’s header did the rest. The visitors’ Achilles’ heel had gifted UCD the ideal start.

Almost immediately, Chris Turner attempted to inspire a response with a crafty run past three challenges – the ball subsequently came to Darren Mansaram, whose cross was cleared – but the breeze-assisted UCD began to orchestrate matters.
Paul Byrne had two attempts on target, neither of which made John O’Hara fret, while a rasping shot from Alan McNally, who benefited from Gary Dicker’s cross, was crucially deflected over by a brave Liam Burns.

Patrick McWalter’s stunning shot from outside the penalty area then further reinforced UCD’s ownership of the game after 28 minutes. Although the midfielder’s left-foot finish was terrific, he was allowed to stroll towards the Rovers’ penalty area unimpeded.

Either side of McWalter’s goal, Rovers’ carved a brace of opportunities. The first surfaced from Keith Foy’s 15th minute cross, but Matthew Judge skewed his shot over UCD goalkeeper Darren Quigley’s crossbar and the second, which came six minutes after UCD went 2-0 ahead, was an Adam Hughes effort that was gathered, somewhat nervously, by Quigley.
UCD almost scored a third from another corner. Goalscorer Alan McNally’s free header was saved, at point-blank range, by John O’Hara and the centre-back blazed the rebound into the UCD student accommodation complex behind the goal. An entrepreneurial Third Level student could now be selling a genuine eircom League sanctioned (Umbro-manufactured) ball on eBay.

Sean Connor sent on Paul McTiernan in the 38th minute – a minute after McNally almost scored his second – and Darren Mansaram was booked a 60 seconds later following an unfair challenge on Conor Kenna.

UCD remained just as sharp in the second-half. Six minutes after the restart they nearly capitalised on an error by substitute centre-back Jamie McKenzie, whose header back to John O’Hara was underhit, but Paul Byrne’s attempted lob was awful.
Mansaram tangled with Conor Kenna for a second time and referee Neil Doyle, who earlier overlooked a similar tackle, dismissed the player.

Rovers reshuffled. Sean Flannery was brought on to join Paul McTiernan in attack – last season’s First Division strikeforce reunited – and the numerical disadvantage meant an enforced midfield trio of Adam Hughes, Chris Turner and Conor O’Grady.

A 65th minute goalkick from John O’Hara yielded Rovers’ clearest second-half opportunity. Paul McTiernan chased the ball and lifted it over the advancing Darren Quigley – but Alan McNally spared his goalkeeper’s blushes by rushing back to sweep the ball out for a corner.

UCD’s third goal – Patrick McWalter again on target – came from a polished set-piece routine. The winners were awarded a free-kick on the left (Liam Burns had handled the ball) but instead of lofting it into the penalty area, Darragh Ryan played the ball infield to McWalter, who rifled it, right-footed this time, through a ruck of players and beyond O’Hara’s reach. A terrible day at the office had just got significantly worse.

UCD: Quigley, Mahon, McNally, Shortall, Kenna, McWalter, McDonnell, Dicker, Ryan (Doyle, 88), Byrne (Hurley, 84), Sammon.

Sligo Rovers: O’Hara, Peers, Burns, McNamara (McKenzie, 45), Foy, Hughes, Turner, O’Grady, Kudozovic (Flannery, 63), Judge (McTiernan, 39), Mansaram.

Referee: N. Doyle (Dublin).

Michael Melly's photos are now available in the Gallery section