UCD v Shamrock Rovers - Pre-Season 29.01.16
Shamrock Rovers defeated UCD in a pre-season friendly at a bitterly cold Belfield Bowl on Friday night. The Premier Division side took the lead, in an open and entertaining contest, in the first-half via Brandon Miele. The second-half was even more open than the first, and Rovers doubled their lead with fifteen minutes left on the clock.
UCD had the best of the early exchanges, but as the game settled, it was Rovers who began to put the passages of play together. They won a corner in the tenth minute. Maxime Blanchard met Killian Brennan's ball from the right, but he couldn't get enough on it and it drifted harmlessly wide to the left.
Maxi Kougun and Ryan McLaughlin were looking solid at the back for College at the stage, but the First Division side would soon be undone from another set piece.
Drennan's corner was cleared, before Rovers fired the ball back in. Miele's initial headed effort was blocked, but he made no mistake to slot his second attempt into the left corner.
Chances were proving difficult to come by. A powerful run by Jack Watson in the twenty-second minute brought him to the edge of the Rovers box. He couldn't find the pass however, and the ball was cleared.
Kougun had to be alert on the half hour. Stephen McPhail chipped a delightful ball into the path of Miele, but the College defender got across to win the ball, and force a goal-kick off the Rovers player.
UCD had their first corner five minutes later after a dangerous cross from Dan Tobin out right. The corner was cleared by Killian Brennan, before a second corner made a similar impact on the Rovers goal.
Miele proved his defensive quality for the Tallaght side two minutes as he chased after Cathal Brady, and forced a goal-kick off the Student. Ninety seconds later Miele got on the end of a cross at the other end. Niall Corbett was able to hold the effort in the College goal.
Rovers had the first attempt of the second-half withas Miele once again took a shot. Corbet held the low effort from the edge of the box.
A good run by Simon Madden nearly had Dean Clarke through, but the pass was just too far ahead of the former Student. Killian Brennan's effort from the edge of the box thirty seconds later, forced a good save from Corbet low to his right.
Rovers were putting College under huge pressure at this stage, and Clarke's goal-bound effort from inside the box had to be blocked by McLaughlin to concede just a corner.
UCD had the next chance of a hectic period as the ball spilled to Ryan Swan. He ran at pace towards the Rovers goal, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, Madden put in a great challenge to concede just a corner.
Corbet made another good save in the sixty-second minute, as the ever present Miele hit a strike from just inside the box. A minute later it was Miele again, as he hit a beauty of a shot from twenty-yards out. Corbet was able to get just about enough on the ball to just concede the corner. Brennan had a free header from the resultant corner, but he smashed it against the post.
Rovers doubled their lead in the 75th minute. A dangerous cross from the left was put into the net by the unfortunate Josh Collins, who had been on the pitch all of sixty seconds.
And they should have had a third in the final five minutes but Michael Drennan's effort from inside the box, after a nice cushioned set-up by Gavin de Niese, hit the right hand post before going wide.
UCD AFC: Niall Corbet (Conor Kearns 79), Dan Tobin (Jack Tuite 46), Ryan McLaughlin, Maxi Kougun, Sean Coyne (John Collins 74), Jack Watson (Daire O'Connor 40), Cathal Brady, Gary O'Neill (capt), Ryan Swan, Dylan Watts, Jason McClelland (Sean Byrne 74)
Subs not used: Adam Harney, Gareth Coughlan
Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy, Simon Madden, Maxime Blanchard (Robert Cornwall 55 (, David Webster 59)), David O'Connor (Sean Heaney 73), Gavin Brennan, Stephen McPhail (capt) (Richie Purdy 69), Gary McCabe, Killian Brennan, Brandon Miele (Gavin De Niese 80), Dean Clarke (Cody Mulhall 55), Michaeel Drennan
Subs not used: Craig Hyland, Danny North
Referee: Tomas Connolly
Man of the Match: Brandon Miele (Shamrock Rovers)
UCD had the best of the early exchanges, but as the game settled, it was Rovers who began to put the passages of play together. They won a corner in the tenth minute. Maxime Blanchard met Killian Brennan's ball from the right, but he couldn't get enough on it and it drifted harmlessly wide to the left.
Maxi Kougun and Ryan McLaughlin were looking solid at the back for College at the stage, but the First Division side would soon be undone from another set piece.
Drennan's corner was cleared, before Rovers fired the ball back in. Miele's initial headed effort was blocked, but he made no mistake to slot his second attempt into the left corner.
Chances were proving difficult to come by. A powerful run by Jack Watson in the twenty-second minute brought him to the edge of the Rovers box. He couldn't find the pass however, and the ball was cleared.
Kougun had to be alert on the half hour. Stephen McPhail chipped a delightful ball into the path of Miele, but the College defender got across to win the ball, and force a goal-kick off the Rovers player.
UCD had their first corner five minutes later after a dangerous cross from Dan Tobin out right. The corner was cleared by Killian Brennan, before a second corner made a similar impact on the Rovers goal.
Miele proved his defensive quality for the Tallaght side two minutes as he chased after Cathal Brady, and forced a goal-kick off the Student. Ninety seconds later Miele got on the end of a cross at the other end. Niall Corbett was able to hold the effort in the College goal.
Rovers had the first attempt of the second-half withas Miele once again took a shot. Corbet held the low effort from the edge of the box.
A good run by Simon Madden nearly had Dean Clarke through, but the pass was just too far ahead of the former Student. Killian Brennan's effort from the edge of the box thirty seconds later, forced a good save from Corbet low to his right.
Rovers were putting College under huge pressure at this stage, and Clarke's goal-bound effort from inside the box had to be blocked by McLaughlin to concede just a corner.
UCD had the next chance of a hectic period as the ball spilled to Ryan Swan. He ran at pace towards the Rovers goal, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, Madden put in a great challenge to concede just a corner.
Corbet made another good save in the sixty-second minute, as the ever present Miele hit a strike from just inside the box. A minute later it was Miele again, as he hit a beauty of a shot from twenty-yards out. Corbet was able to get just about enough on the ball to just concede the corner. Brennan had a free header from the resultant corner, but he smashed it against the post.
Rovers doubled their lead in the 75th minute. A dangerous cross from the left was put into the net by the unfortunate Josh Collins, who had been on the pitch all of sixty seconds.
And they should have had a third in the final five minutes but Michael Drennan's effort from inside the box, after a nice cushioned set-up by Gavin de Niese, hit the right hand post before going wide.
UCD AFC: Niall Corbet (Conor Kearns 79), Dan Tobin (Jack Tuite 46), Ryan McLaughlin, Maxi Kougun, Sean Coyne (John Collins 74), Jack Watson (Daire O'Connor 40), Cathal Brady, Gary O'Neill (capt), Ryan Swan, Dylan Watts, Jason McClelland (Sean Byrne 74)
Subs not used: Adam Harney, Gareth Coughlan
Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy, Simon Madden, Maxime Blanchard (Robert Cornwall 55 (, David Webster 59)), David O'Connor (Sean Heaney 73), Gavin Brennan, Stephen McPhail (capt) (Richie Purdy 69), Gary McCabe, Killian Brennan, Brandon Miele (Gavin De Niese 80), Dean Clarke (Cody Mulhall 55), Michaeel Drennan
Subs not used: Craig Hyland, Danny North
Referee: Tomas Connolly
Man of the Match: Brandon Miele (Shamrock Rovers)
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