Five-star UCD stun City at the Bowl

By Donncha Noonan | Photo: Kevin Barry Dorney

In the midst of a poor run of form, having lost their last three in all comps, Cork City were looking to get back to winning ways as they travelled to Dublin to face UCD. It wasn’t to be though, as despite taking the lead twice, the visitors fell to a 5-2 defeat.

Barry Robson elected to make just one change from the extra time loss with Shamrock last week, with Niall O’Keeffe stepping in to replace Josh Fitzpatrick.

It was three changes for Willie O’Connor to his team that beat Treaty 2-1. Noah Douglas, Matthew Alonge and Thomas Morley all made way, being replaced by Dara Kavanagh, Charles Akinrintayo and Mikey McCullagh.

It didn’t take long for the deadlock to break, and it was the visitors who did it after two minutes. Conor Drinan broke through the UCD midfield before giving the ball into Hans Mpongo. He got it and drove at the UCD defence before sending a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom right corner to give his side the lead.

Their lead didn’t last though, as UCD levelled things four minutes later. A nice one-two at the edge of the box between Ciaran Behan and Louie Dignam allowed the latter to burst into the box and dink the ball past Conor Brann, where Killian Calloice was on hand to tuck the ball away to grab an equaliser.

City didn’t let up on the hosts and retook the lead in the eighteenth minute. Hans Mpongo received the ball out wide and burst down the left flank towards the byline. He then dinked the ball towards the front post where Ruairi Keating was on hand to divert the ball past Dara Kavanagh and into the back of the net.

City had multiple good chances after that, but their lack of clinicalness allowed UCD to equalise again on the stroke of half time. Ciaran Behan burst forward from midfield before laying the ball left to Charles Akinrintayo. He took on the City defence, running at goal before shifting on his left and smashing the ball past Conor Brann and into the roof of the net.

That was all for an action-packed first half as City’s poor end to the first half allowed UCD to go into the break level.

The first chance of the half went City’s way in the fifty-second minute. A great ball out wide to an open Cillian Murphy allowed the youngster to take on the UCD defence. He cut inside and danced past two players before curling the ball towards the far corner, but the ball came off the base of the post and away from goal.

City would rue that missed chance as UCD took the lead seven minutes later. A lovely first time passing move starting at the UCD backline opened up the City midfield, before the ball arrived at the feet of Behan at the edge of the box. He set himself before driving a shot into the bottom right corner to grab his side the lead.

Things got even worse for City in the eighty-sixth minute. A short corner routine from the hosts got the ball to Louie Dignam at the edge of the box. He skipped past Fiacre Kelleher before powering a shot into the bottom left corner to double his side's advantage.

UCD had one more thing up their sleeve, putting the icing on the cake in the fourth minute of additional time. Hugh Smith fed the ball to Mikey McCullagh about thirty yards out from goal. He shifted past Joe Aidoo before curling an audacious effort into the top right corner to give UCD their fifth of the night.

That was the last of the action from the UCD Bowl as the league leaders were shocked yet again, with City’s poor patch of form continuing. City were decent for the first half an hour or so, but everything fell apart from there. Defensively things were messy and there was no real cohesion going forward after the second goal went in. This is a serious warning sign for City now as they look to right these concerns heading into the Premier Division next year. 

My Man of the Match goes to UCD’s Ciaran Behan. Multiple players for the Students were deserving of this, but I went with Behan. He was electric going forward, causing plenty of problems for the City backline, with a goal and an assist to his name. He’s been their standout player this season, and he could easily get a move in the offseason.

City will look to turn around their recent form on Friday as they travel to Ballybofey to face Finn Harps. As for UCD, they’ll head to the midlands to play Athlone Town.