UCD AFC returned to winning ways in the Newstalk A Championship.
UCD AFC put recent bad results behind them in the A Championship with a commanding 3-1 demolition of Sligo Rovers. Two goals from recent goal machine, Stephen Doyle and another from Cillian Morrison meant the Students left Sligo with all three points.
A dark, wet and windy night was lit up by UCD from the very first whistle as they went about their task with enthusiasm and skill. UCD dominated the midfield early on with Barry McCabe, Danny Fallon and Danny Ledwith combining well from the start to press UCD forward.
UCD set up camp in the Sligo half allowing full backs Mark Langtry and Sean Russell to push forward. The Sligo defence found themselves tested time and again as Langty and Russell teamed up with wing men Eoin Roche and Stephen Doyle to pepper the home penalty area with cross after cross. With Sligo under so much pressure it was inevitable that eventually they would crack, and crack they did.
Stephen Doyle was the benficiary of Sligo's decline and he was very much the architect. Cutting inside off the right wing he skipped past a number of defenders before smashing the ball into the top corner of the net leaving the Sligo number 1 with no chance. UCD had the lead they deserved.
With it abundantly clear that Sligo could not handle UCD's attacks out wide, The Students continued to target the opposing full backs. Eoin Roche was in fine form as his full box of tricks was opened to the detriment of his opposite number. One such foray down the line resulted in a pin point cross that Cillian Morrison could not fail to head past the keeper, 2-0 at half time was no more than UCD deserved.
The second half started with less vigour as the pitch began to cut up and players began to tire. The game plan for UCD, however, did not change. They continued to concentrate on the flanks and move the ball with pace and accuracy. UCD's third goal was an epitome of the way UCD had been playing.
Following what seemed like an eternity of UCD possession the ball eventually found its way to the feet of Eoin Roche. His clever ball into the box found Morrison moving at pace. Morrison drifted elegantly past several defenders before dropping the ball off at the feet of Barry McCabe who's intelligence was clear for all to see as he fed Morrison again, Morrisson passed up the opportunity to shoot as he advanced on the 6 yard box and instead spotted Stephen Doyle arriving. Doyle was left with a tap in and UCD had a masterpiece, 3 goals and 3 points to take away from Sligo.
Sligo did get a consolation goal just before the end of the game possibly learning from the joy UCD had gotten down the flanks. The ball was played down the right hand side of the UCD defence and a pin point cross pierced the two UCD centre halves and the Sligo striker arrived just on time to head past McGinley in the UCD net.
UCD: McGinley, Langtry, Kavanagh, Boyle, Russell, Fallon, Ledwith, McCabe, Roche, Doyle, Morrison
