REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION ROUND 31
UCD AFC 2-1 Kerry FC
Kerry FC returned to league action on Friday night after last weekend’s spectacular comeback in the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup against Sligo Rovers as they travelled to Belfield and to UCD.
Kerry FC came into this one on a good run of form with just one loss since the very beginning of August. Three wins and two draws in both league and cup competition had Kerry FC flying high both on and off the pitch. With three games in the next seven days and being just eight points off the promotion spots, it would be a massive week for the Kingdom in their search for an elusive playoff spot.
For the hosts, UCD, they sat in fourth position before kick-off and have been on a good run of form themselves. They had picked up four wins in their last six, with their most recent coming in a 2-1 win over Longford Town last weekend in the capital.
Could Kerry’s last two months and miraculous victories be the secret ingredient to a playoff push, or could UCD’s consistency be enough to see them get over the line on Friday night? Time would only tell.
FIRST HALF
Kerry FC were dealt an early setback as the students struck within the opening ten minutes. From the outset, UCD showed their intent to get on the front foot and punish Kerry for any lapse in concentration. In the ninth minute, a free kick from the right-hand side was swung into the danger zone. Centre-back Éanna Clancy rose highest, guiding his header expertly beyond Matthew Connor into the bottom left corner to hand the hosts the lead. It was a cruel blow for Kerry FC, who had barely settled into the rhythm of the game before falling behind.
Despite the early concession, Colin Healy’s side responded admirably. Just three minutes later, Kerry’s lively forward Daniel Okwute carved out a chance of his own. Running into the box from a tight angle, he forced UCD goalkeeper Noah Douglas into action. The shot agonisingly struck the post before being cleared, reminding the home side that Kerry would not go down without a fight.
Momentum began to shift slightly as Kerry worked themselves into dangerous positions. In the twenty-first minute, Sean O’Connell almost restored parity with a shot at the near post, only to be denied by Douglas once again. The UCD goalkeeper was proving a reliable last line of defence, keeping his side’s narrow advantage intact.
Tensions rose midway through the half as Adam Brennan received a yellow card for a late challenge, which only added to Kerry’s growing frustration. Clancy, the opening goal scorer, also went into the referee’s book in the thirty-seventh minute.
The students still carried a threat on the break. On the half-hour mark, Declan Osagie nearly doubled the lead, only to see his close-range attempt saved by Connor. The Kerry goalkeeper was kept busy, and in the fortieth minute, he had to react quickly to push a deflected cross over the bar before his defenders cleared the resulting corner.
Kerry continued to press, but the final ball often eluded them in promising positions. When three minutes of added time were announced, there was still hope of snatching an equaliser before the break, but UCD held firm.
The half-time whistle confirmed that the home side would carry a slender 1-0 lead into the dressing room. For Kerry, there was frustration at not converting their chances, but also encouragement that they had created opportunities against one of the division’s more organised defences.
SECOND HALF
Kerry FC manager Colin Healy made a change at the break, introducing young goalkeeper Darragh Foley for his first team debut in place of Matthew Connor, who picked up a knock in the first half. Unfortunately, the substitute would find himself beaten just six minutes into his first spell between the posts. In the fifty-first minute, a dangerous cross from the right flank picked out Osagie at the near post. The striker cleverly flicked the ball past Foley, who, to his credit, got down well be couldn’t keep the ball out of the net. UCD had doubled their lead, and Kerry were staring at a difficult uphill battle.
Kerry, however, refused to capitulate. Their response was immediate and spirited, with Sean O’Connell delivering a superb corner into the area in the fifty-seventh minute. The ball caused chaos, bouncing around the box before UCD eventually scrambled it clear. A minute later, UCD broke forward, but Foley made a smart smothering save at the feet of Brennan.
The Kingdom began to grow into the half, led by the relentless drive of Okwute. On the hour, he embarked on a dazzling solo run after a quick free kick, riding challenges and firing on goal, only to be denied by Douglas yet again. Four minutes later, Okwute again tested the keeper, battling through defenders despite having his shirt pulled, but Douglas refused to be beaten.
Foley was called into action once again in the sixty-fifth minute, producing a low save from a tight angle to keep Kerry’s hopes alive. That save would prove vital, as just three minutes later Kerry found their lifeline. After a flurry of chances in the UCD box involving Joe Adams, Ronan Teahan, and Oran Crowe, it was Ronan Teahan who eventually tucked the ball home with composure. The Kingdom had halved the deficit, and belief coursed back through the visiting side.
Healy immediately shuffled his deck, making a triple substitution as Sean McGrath, Robbie Cleary and Arran Healy replaced Carl Mujaguzi, Oran Crowe and Robbie Cleary. The injection of fresh legs gave Kerry renewed energy, and Teahan’s goal lifted the intensity across the pitch.
The game then became a tense, scrappy affair. UCD’s Brian McManus picked up a booking in the seventy-seventh minute, symptomatic of a side struggling to keep Kerry at bay. In the final ten minutes, the hosts pushed for a third goal to kill off the contest, coming close twice in quick succession. In the eighty-seventh minute, Kerry had to clear off the line to prevent disaster, but almost immediately after, Joe Adams flashed a dangerous low cross through the UCD area, begging for a finishing touch that never came.
Healy made his final substitution in the eighty-ninth minute, introducing Ryan Perez for Sean O’Connell. With six minutes of added time signalled, Kerry threw everything forward in search of an equaliser. Arran Healy went into the book for a late challenge in the ninetieth minute as the visitors pushed higher up the pitch, leaving gaps behind.
Despite their best efforts, the final whistle brought disappointment for the travelling support. The match ended 2-1 in favour of UCD, who had taken their chances clinically, while Kerry were left to rue missed opportunities.
Kerry FC now don’t have much time to dwell on the defeat as they head up the road once again on Monday night to take on Athlone Town in Athlone.
UCD AFC Team: 28. Noah Douglas, 3. Adam Wells, 4. Eanna Clancy (GOAL ‘8), 6. Declan Osagie (GOAL ‘52), 7. Michael McCullagh, 8. Ronan Finn (C), 11. Brian McManus, 17. Killian Cailloce, 29. Jake Doyle, 34. Adam Brennan, 39. Louis Dignam.
Subs: Carl Lennox, Michael Raggett, Ciaran Behan, Matthew Alonge, Dara Kavanagh, Colin Bolton, Adam Verdon, Sean Mackey, Hugh Smith
Kerry FC Team: 16. Matthew Connor, 3. Sean O’Connell, 4. Oran Crowe, 5. Christopher McQueen, 6. Carl Mujaguzi, 8. Ronan Teahan (C) (GOAL 68), 10. Joe Adams, 11. Daniel Okwute, 17. Cian Brosnan, 19. Daniel O’Connor, 29. Ewan Lee.
Subs: Darragh Foley, Arran Healy, Robbie Cleary, Luke Doolan, Finn Barrett, Luke Palmer, Kevin Williams, Ryan Perez, Sean McGrath.