UCD 0
Cork City 0
Andrew Dempsey reports from the UCD Bowl
CORK CITY WERE denied their first away league win of the season as they were held to a scoreless draw at the UCD Bowl by the Students.
The result sees UCD move a point clear of second-placed Shelbourne – although they have played a game more than them ahead of the Reds’ trip to St Colman’s Park tomorrow night.
Colin Healy’s Cork moved a point closer to the playoff positions after Cabinteely’s defeat away to Bray Wanderers thanks to their point.
Coming into the game, City won just their second league game of the season, seeing off Wexford with relative ease at Turner’s Cross – and went into the game unchanged.
Meanwhile, UCD earned a good win against Treaty United, but they were forced into two changes as regular keeper Lorcan Healy and Liam Kerrigan missed out.
But it was City who started the game the better of the two, and they were denied an ealy lead after a last-ditch block from Harvey O’Brien.
The Mayo native blocked Darragh Crowley’s goal-bound effort off the line after Jack Walsh had seen his header crash off the bar in a real let-off for the hosts.
UCD grew into the game after a slow start, but they were limited to few opportunities, with Colm Whelan going close twice – although he was unable to suitably test Mark McNulty.
City maintained their threat however – and almost took the lead just before the break through Cian Bargary, but Williams was equal to his curling effort on goal, tipping over the bar.
Cork City’s Dylan McGlade and Eoin Farrell of UCD.
Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO
Healy’s young side continued to press forward in the early stages of the second-half, and they were thwarted again by the agile Williams who got down well to deny Cian Murphy after a Bargary corner-kick routine caused chaos in the UCD defence.
Finnish defender Jonas Hakkinen then forced UCD’s stand-in keeper into another good save at the back-post with just over 20 to play at the Dublin 4 venue.
Bargary’s late free-kick was the closest either side went to a late winner – but the 20-year-old could not test Williams again as it deflected over the bar – with both teams sharing the spoils.
UCD: Carl Williams; Mark Dignam (Ciaran Behan, 87), Eoin Farrell, Harvey O’Brien, Sam Todd, Evan Weir; Sean Brennan, Paul Doyle (Donal Higgins, 87), Dara Keane; Danu Kinsella Bishop (Adam Lennon 54), Colm Whelan.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Gordon Walker, Ronan Hurley, Jonas Hakkinen, Cian Coleman (c); Darragh Crowley, Alec Byrne (Gearóid Morrissey 43), Jack Baxter, Cian Bargary; Jack Walsh (Beineon O’Brien Whitmarsh 60), Cian Murphy (Dylan McGlade 76).