- Macdara Ferris
- Mon, Aug 21 2023
Macdara Ferris reports from UCD Bowl
The weather Gods couldn’t save UCD on Monday night in this refixed FAI Cup second round tie as the Students were comprehensively beaten 5-1 by Galway United.
UCD had trailed 2-0 at half-time on Friday before Storm Betty – and referee Rob Harvey – called time on the game before the second half started.
The conditions couldn’t have been any more different on Monday night compared with Friday, with the early evening sunshine above the UCD Bowl in stark contrast to the incessant rain last week that caused the match abondonment.
However, both managers went with the same starting lineup and there was only the one change on the bench for either team.
Without Friday’s puddles preventing play up the middle of the park, we did get to see some of the trademark UCD passing and movement with Sean Brennan, Brendan Barr and Danu Kinsella Bishop offering the best on show for the home side.
While UCD had knocked Galway United out of the cup last year at this same stage, there was to be no repeat this time around even having got a second chance with this rearranged fixture.
The First Division league leaders were ruthless and UCD captain Jack Keaney won’t be happy with his contribution in the first half.
It took just five minutes for the visitors to take the lead with Wassim Aouachria scoring with a delightful dink by the onrushing Kian Moore after the Frenchman won a foot race with Keaney running onto Ronan Manning's through ball from the centre circle.
They were back to being 2-0 up on 16 minutes. Keaney was pick pocketed by Stephen Walsh on the right and he took the United player down for a booking.
He was also punished when Manning, who was outstanding on the night, rolled the resulting free kick to David Hurley. He drilled the ball from outside the box low into the back of the net.
The duo did it again seven minutes from the break. Hurley once again picked up a rolled Manning free kick from wide right. His powerful effort beat Moore for pace to settle into the back of the net and notch his 18th goal of the season across league and cup and give Manning his third assist of the evening.
Manning got on the scoresheet himself in first half injury time with a very tidy left foot finish. He had put a free kick from the left into the box and drifted into the penalty area after it.
When a UCD header came his way close to the penalty spot, he tucked it home for United's fourth goal of the first half.
United assistant manager Ollie Horgan talked himself into a red card from referee Rob Harvey and found himself watching the last 30 minutes of the match from the camera gantry.
He would have got a good view of United substitute Rob Manley powering home a header from Hurley’s curled corner from the right to put his side five goals to the good in the 70th minute.
There was time for one more Galway player to get on the scoresheet. However it was sub Oisin O’Reilly as he headed into his own net three minutes from time.
The 5-1 win booked United’s place in September’s quarter-finals of the cup and leaves UCD with very little to look forward to with the remainder of the season.
UCD: Kian Moore; Michael Gallagher, Jack Keaney ©, Evan Osam (Jesse Dempsey 71), Adam Wells; Brendan Barr (Ciaran Behan 54), Dara Keane, Adam Verdon (Donal Higgins 54), Sean Brennan; Danu Kinsella Bishop (Mikey Raggett 69), Daniel Norris (Jake Doyle 67).
Subs not used: Lorcan Healy, Harvey O'Brien, Ryan Bowden, Harry Curtis.
Booked: Jack Keaney (15), Donal Higgins (78).
Galway United: Brendan Clarke; Evan O'Connor, Killian Brouder, Rob Slevin, Regan Donelon (Oisin O'Reilly 46); Vincent Borden (Maurice Nugent 67); Edward McCarthy (Francely Lomboto 75), Ronan Manning, David Hurley; Wassim Aouachria (Rob Manley 67), Stephen Walsh (Aodh Dervin 75).
Subs not used: Alex Rutter, Conor McCormack, Darren Clarke, David Tarmey.
Booked: None.
Sent off: Ollie Horgan (61).
Referee: Rob Harvey
Attendance: 300 (estimate)
extratime.com Player of the Match: Ronan Manning (Galway United)
