League Report: UCD 2 - 0 Shelbourne

UCD cemeneted their place in the play-off positions in the SSE Airtricity First Division before the mid-season break with a 2-0 win over Dublin rivals Shelbourne in Belfield on Friday evening.

Goals from Gary O’Neill and Jason McClelland either side of half time were enough to see a dominant UCD take all three points despite a determined effort from their visitors

In a mssive game for both sides, the match started off extremely tense and James English was fouled 35 yards out when Gavin Boyne’s free kick was easily cleared before English had a half chance down the right four minutes in, which he sliced wide.

A minute later, Dylan Watts had a decent run through the centre of Shelbourne’s defence but after he flicked the ball over Conor Keeley, Alan Kehoe was there to clear with a neat pass back to Jack Brady in goal.

8 minutes in and UCD began a spell of pressure when a corner led to a penalty and the game’s first goal. The corner from the right went to the back post when Keeley needlessly headed onto his own arm and Gary O’Neill stepped up before sending Brady the wrong way from the spot kick.

Keeley then tried to make amends straight away after good work down the right from Lorcan Shannon led to a Shels’ corner of their own. Keeley’s resulting header was head wide, however.

It wasn’t until the 23 minute mark until the next meaningful chance came and went as Jamie Doyle did brilliant down the left but his low across just avoided English.

It was Doyle again a minute later who beat Alan Harney but Daire Doyle couldn’t believe he missed from just about two yards out. Everything good for Shelbourne was coming though the left winger.

Doyle won a free kick from another Shels attack down the left and English spurned another glorious chance with a free header five yards out but he somehow put it wide.

Kieran Marty Waters was a significant signing for UCD at the beginning of the season and his pace enabled him to slip through Swan, who put his 35th minute strike just wide.

Shels were trying their best to get back into the game before half time and Lorcan Shannon found himself twenty yards with space to shoot but his hesitation allowed Boyle to get a decisive block in.

Keeley wasn’t having the best game and things took a turn for the worse when he pulled up after a Shels corner with a hamstring problem forcing Ryan Robinson to eneter the fray.

Straight from the kick off of the second half , Swan was through one one on down the middle but his toe poked effort somehow missed the target. It was a golden chance for UCD to double their lead.

It was a bizarrely open start to the second half as English broke down the right and cut back to Robert O’Reilly but he failed to get enough contact as another chance went begging.

Two minutes later, English benifited from some sloppy play in the UCD midfield but as he broke his 25 yard shot went flying over Corbet’s crossbar.

The quick pace of the game couldn’t last forever and up until the hour mark there was only a speculative blocked shot from Swan, an over hit corner from Shannon which touched the crossbar as it went behind and an ever more hopeful shot from Gavin Boyne who fired over after another good run from Jamie Doyle.

The game seemed to be developing into a scrap in the middle of the park when UCD grabbed a second out of nowhere. Jason McClelland managed to get through the hesitating Shels defence and McClelland reacted faster than Brady as the UCD winger chipped over a delightful goal in the 65th minute.

Five minutes later and the ever present Swan broke down the left again but this time, his powerful effort just inside the box was stopped by Brady.

Shels tried to shake things up by bringing on Sodiq Oguntola with 15 minutes to go but it was UCD who wasted another chance as the ball fell to Swan but his curled shot whistled past the post.

UCD had another chance with two minutes to go when Maxi Kouogun had a header from a dangerous free kick fly over the bar before Shels broke and subsitute Kavanagh had a brilliant effort tipped over the bar by Corbet.

The referee indicated three minutes added time but there wasn’t enough for either side to add to the convincing scoreline.

UCD: Niall Corbet, Adam Harney, Dan Tobin, Maxi Kouogun, Tomas Boyle, Greg Sloggett, Kieran Marty Waters (Cathal Brady 60), Gary O’Neill, Ryan Swan, Dylan Watts, Jason McClelland (Jason Byrne 88)

Subs Not Used: Conor Kearns, Josh Collins, Sean Coyne, Jack Watson, Daire O’Connor

Booked: Ryan Swan (38)

Shelbourne: Jack Brady, Robert Duggan (Sodiq Oguntola 75), Alan Kehoe, Conor Keeley (Ryan Robinson 43), Aidan Collins, Daire Doyle (Cian Kavanagh 69), Robert O’Reilly, Gavan Boyne, Jamie Doyle, James English, Lorcan Shannon

Subs Not Used: Greg Murray, Dylan Kavanagh, Dylan Grimes, Carl Walshe

Booked: Jamie Doyle (45+3), Ryan Robinson (63), Robert O’Reilly (80), James English (90+2)

Referee: Simon Rodgers

Attendence: 363

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Dylan Watts (UCD)

You can see Martin Doherty's pictures from the game here.