SUBSTITUTE MARK BOLAND clinched a dramatic Collingwood Cup victory for UCD at The Mardyke as they overcame University of Limerick 2-1 today.
University College Dublin 2-1 University of Limerick
Milford native Darragh Black, Carndonagh’s Ryan McLaughlin and Georgie Kelly from Fahan (pictured above) were part of the Belfield outfit’s squad. Kelly played all 90 minutes and McLaughlin was a second half substitute.
The Dublin side left it late to net the game-winning goal which brings their dominant record in this competition up to an impressive 43 wins since it was first founded in 1914.
UL had looked the more likely to score in a tightly-contested opening half and that is exactly what happened on 19 minutes when Garbhan Coughlan fired in a superb volley.
Coughlan then went close to adding to his tally but he was denied by UCD goalkeeper Niall Corbet, while Brian Nolan rattled the goal frame with a left-footed effort.
UCD did respond with a couple of chances from Gary O’Neill and Tom O’Halloran before they drew level when George Kelly headed in 10 minutes into the second period.
Injuries to Nolan and Paudie O’Connor hurt UL, but they kept on fighting with their goalkeeper Andrew Walsh doing brilliantly to shut out UCD’s Ryan McLaughlin.
The winning goal arrived in the late drama as the rain poured down and it was O’Neill who set it up as he picked out Boland for the striker to convert with the pressure on.
UCD: Corbet; Tobin, Kouogun (McLaughlin 46), Dent, Coyne; Coughlan, O’Neill, O’Halloran (Boland 70), Molloy, McClelland (Belhout 78); Kelly.
University of Limerick: Walsh; AJ O’Connor, P O’Connor (Hayes 74), Cowap (Hooton 62), Hanifan; McGrath, Maguire, Nolan (Fletcher 68), Collins, McMenamin, Coughlan.
Referee: R Murphy (Cork).
