Soccer

Sprinkler drama livens up Belfield stalemate

Damien Duff’s Shelbourne unable to break down UCD in battle of promoted sides

A pair of rogue sprinklers that stopped the second half for eight minutes. Photograph: Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns at UCD Bowl
Mon Feb 28 2022 - 23:23

UCD 0 Shelbourne 0

These sides drew twice last season in the First Division, so perhaps another stalemate between the two promoted outfits can’t be labelled a surprise.

Shelbourne will be the more frustrated of the two given the amount of time they spent with the ball, but in truth they never created enough to deserve to take the three points back to Tolka Park. For all the time they spent defending, it was UCD who actually worked the better chances, albeit they didn’t have enough of the ball to do so consistently.

With no goals, the highlight from an entertainment point of view was a pair of rogue sprinklers that stopped the second half for eight minutes. The poor groundsman was forced to cover over the first culprit, only for the second to go off as soon as he did – much to the crowd’s chagrin.

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Shels' Conor Kane had the freedom of Belfield down the left flank in the first half, time and again showing an ability to drive with the ball and beat defenders only for the incisive cross to never come. It was a theme that continued throughout for the wingback.

After seeing hardly any of the ball in the opening periods, Seán Brennan started to come into it nicely for the Students. Given free roam across the midfield, he picked plenty of holes through the middle and had a mazy run of his own cut short when falling over in the box, his penalty claim rightly falling on deaf ears.

From building their way slowly into the game, UCD had the best chance of the half as Colm Whelan’s byline cross was turned goalwards, forcing Lewis Webb into a smart save at his near post.

For all their inability to create chances, it always felt as if the Shelbourne press could force the UCD backline into offering an opportunity. That's exactly what happened moments before half-time but Jack Moylan couldn't keep his effort down.

After the break, Damien Duff's side were beyond wasteful. Considering how difficult life was when it came to picking through the UCD midfield, they passed up far too many opportunities to cross from out wide. The result was Lorcan Healy went the entire 90 without being called into action in the UCD goal.

The hosts had the best two chances to force a winner, Dylan Duffy hitting a tame shot straight at Webb when sent in one-on-one after good work from Whelan, while the latter found himself with the ball six yards out in the dying minutes only for the Shels 'keeper to gobble up another weak effort.

UCD: Healy, Osam, Heaney (capt), Kerrigan, Dignam (Caffrey 63), Whelan, Brennan, Todd, Verdon (Duffy 63), Ryan, Yoro.

Shelbourne: Webb, Wilson, Kane, O’Driscoll, McManus (Dervin 63), Coyle, Boyd (Anaebonam 63), Moylan (Farrell 86), McEneff (Hawkins 22), Byrne (capt), Ledwidge.

Referee: Alan Patchell

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