Goalkeepers prove their worth

UCD 0 Lisburn Distillery 0:GOALKEEPERS BILLY Brennan and Ger Barron stole the show at Dalymount Park last night, depriving the meagre crowd of goals. Distillery will travel home the happier ahead of the second leg in a fortnight as UCD shaded the chances – including hitting the woodwork – in what was a far from dull affair.

Despite this being their fifth game in 17 days, Lisburn started eight of the side, including ex-student Brennan, that had to settle for a 2-2 draw with non-league side Ballinamallard United in the Irish Cup on Saturday.

With just two pre-season friendlies before being catapulted into this competition at short notice, UCD started encouragingly, eager to pass the ball. Just when they looked to have settled, Distillery, seventh in the Irish League Premier Division, had to thank Brennan for preventing them from falling behind on 20 minutes.

A rash challenge by visiting captain Phil Simpson on Robbie Creevy resulted in Brennan needing to show agility to push Graham Rusk’s looping header from a Darren Meenan free-kick out for UCD’s second corner of the game. Brennan was there again five minutes before the break. Creevy worked a neat one-two with Rusk on the edge of the area, but he went for precision more than power and Brennan comfortably saved the shot.

The Distillery goal remained under pressure with Aaron Callaghan doing well to block Meenan’s goal-bound shot following Creevy’s delightful chipped pass after a run through midfield by Spanish defender Yael Haro.

The Belfast side had a bit more about them in the second half and they might have been in front on 56 minutes. Gary Thompson threaded a precise ball through for Scott Davidson, but the winger rifled wide of Billy Barron’s goal. Barron then had to show his worth with saves in quick succession just past the 65th minute. First he parried away 41-year-old Glenn Ferguson’s header from Mark Patton’s deep cross from the left. Patton then did well again to cross with Ferguson once more thwarted by Barron.

But UCD should have won it on the night on 68 minutes. Played in by Meenan, Rusk showed terrific feet only for Brennan to deflect his chip off the Distillery crossbar.

UCD: Barron; Harding (Ledwith, 71 mins.), Leahy, Haro, Nangle; Marshall (Doyle, 80 mins), Creevy, O’Connor, Corry, Meenan; Rusk.

LISBURN DISTILLERY: Brennan; Callaghan, Hunter, Simpson, Devlin; Davidson (Forsythe, 85 mins), Thompson, Kilmartin, Cooling, Patton (Cushley, 80 mins); Ferguson (Browne, 85 mins).

Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).