Fatigued United usurped by UCD

Slippery customer: Willie John Kiely under pressure from UCDs Greg Bolger at a rain-soaked RSC last saturday night. | Photo: Jim OSullivan

 Waterford United 0; UCD 1

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UCD leapfrogged over Waterford United into second place in the league table thanks to their hard-fought victory in difficult underfoot conditions at the RSC on Saturday night last.

Following a first-half downpour, there was a lot of surface water on the pitch but the Students always looked that little bit sharper and faster than the Blues who appeared somewhat jaded, perhaps because they were playing their third game in eight days.

Only a brilliant man-of-the-match display by goalkeeper Michael Devine, in what turned out to be a personal duel between himself and UCD captain, Ronan Finn, kept the game scoreless until the 70th. minute. The in-form Devine played the entire second-half with a suspected broken toe.

Following a succession of rasping, long-range strikes that inspired Devine to some great saves, Finn looked odds-on to open the scoring but, when the United defence finally fell, it was breached by substitute David McMillan who had been on the pitch for only nine minutes.

A throw-in on the left found Peter McMahon who floated in a high, searching probe over the home defence. With his back to the goal, McMillan controlled the ball beautifully and swivelled to crash it into the net from close range.

UCD, who were reduced to ten men when Greg Bolger received his marching orders for a clumsy 51st. minute tackle on Stephen Grant, survived a goalmouth melee and several untidy scrambles in the dying minutes as United surged forward but the visitors defended fiercely to capture all three points.

See The Munster Express newspaper for full story.