University of Limerick power past UCD to reach Collingwood Cup decider

THE University of Limerick secured a place in the Collingwood Cup final thanks to a 2-0 victory over a much fancied University College Dublin side in Galway on Tuesday afternoon.

Fresh from his goalscoring exploits in Monday's quarter-final win, Edmund O’Dwyer once again played a pivotal role in this victory breaking the deadlock in the first half before setting up the all-important second after the restart.

When the two sides met in last year’s showpiece UCD ran out 3-2 winners and perhaps UL were looking to exorcise some demons as they started the game on the front foot.

Treaty United’s Conor Carew sent Dara Kavanagh sprawling towards the bottom corner of his goal to keep out a well struck free kick inside the opening three minutes.

Carew again posed a threat for UL after 12 minutes, receiving the ball from a throw-in he evaded his maker to create space to get a shot towards goal, his first effort was blocked and while he managed to control the ball his second effort was also dealt with.

UCD had to wait 15 minutes before they got their first look at goal, some nice passing teed up a shot on the edge of the area but it was sent high and wide by their midfielder.

Just before the half hour mark Carew again drew an important stop from Kavanagh, this time a powerful header from a corner required a fine save. While UCD were enjoying the majority of the possession they were having great difficulty in picking a way past the resolute Limerick defence.

Forays down the wings proved fruitless as Joey Rush and Carew aided by Leon Daly and Theo Joyce snuffed out any potential danger.

The Dublin students who are known for their possession based football were almost punished for being too casual at the back with 36 minutes played as Joyce nipped in to steal the ball off the toe of a UCD defender.

The Connemara native immediately played the ball to O’Dwyer who pulled a shot just wide of the upright. That served as a timely wakeup call and it was UL who were breathing a huge sigh of relief two minutes later.

A dangerous attack up the left wing resulted in venomous cross being sent in to the UL area, it was met by the head of Danu Kinsella Bishop but the striker’s header failed to hit the target.

Inside the last five minutes of the opening half UCD looked to turn the screw on UL as their attacks picked up pace.

With the Limerick side slightly stretched Alex Cuddy produced a vital sliding tackle to halt an advance and allow his teammates to regroup into their defensive shape.

After weathering the storm it was the Shannonsiders who would finish the half in the ascendancy. A Joey Rushe free-kick from deep inside his own half evaded the attempted headers from UCD allowing Eoin Redmond to contort his body to direct it towards goal, once again Kavanagh was on hand to keep the scores level.

However, Kavanagh found himself rooted to the spot in the forty-fifth minute as Limerick took the lead. Theo Joyce chased down a long ball to win a throw-in on the edge of the UCD area.

The ball was launched towards the six yard box, with a UCD head meeting it however it only got as far as the edge of the box where Joyce instinctively nodded it towards the penalty
spot.
Edmund O’Dwyer allowed the ball to come across his body before hitting it on the half-volley into the top left hand corner of the UCD net to spark wild celebrations.

The old cliché of a side being most vulnerable when they have just scored nearly came to pass as Aisling Annacoty man Josh Coady produced a crucial save from the restart.

The Tipperary native rushed from his line and spread his body well to take the sting out of a shot with a UL boot clearing the danger to see them take a one goal lead into the break.

UCD began the second half on the front foot eager to keep their three in a row ambitions alive and spurned a great opportunity after two minutes. A corner kick fell to a Dubliner on the edge of the area but his volley again lacked the direction it needed to trouble Coady in the UL goal.

In truth, UCD owned the ball for long periods of the second half with UL’s chances very much limited to the odd counter attack.

Despite this the Limerickmen were quite comfortable, any crosses that managed to enter the area were headed clear by the center-back duo of Alex Cuddy and Tom Kelly while Ewan O’Brien, Tom Kidd and Eoin Redmond were disrupting play in the middle of the park hassling their counterparts as they looked to find the killer pass to unlock the Limerick defence.

Enjoying the lion share of possession allowed the Dubliners to push their wing-backs quite high as they looked to create over-laps out wide, this did however leave them vulnerable to counter-attacks and one such attack would prove fatal.

As UL turned over possession the ball was sent forward to O’Dwyer who tussled with his marker as he surged towards the edge of the area. He looked to his right and passed the ball to substitute Niall Barr who controlled the ball inside the area then releasing it to Oisin Breen.

The Kerryman produced a superb swivel before calmly dispatching the ball into the bottom corner of the UCD net with sixty seven minutes played.

Much like in the first half Coady was again called into action shortly after the resumption of play but the game played out much as it had before UL had increased their lead.

UCD pushed, but couldn’t find a way through on goal, UL had the luxury of introducing experienced players such as Ciaran Jennings, David McCarty and Paudie Walsh who helped settle any nerves while also adding fresh legs to the UL attack.

As defending champions UCD were never going to give up and as the clock ticked towards the 95th minute they produced one last chance to pull one back.

A long ball was sent forward by Kavanagh, a sea of heads rose to meet it but each one missed with the ball falling to a UCD striker who found himself unmarked.

Once again Coady spread himself to block the attempted shot snuffing out the danger.

That was the last action of note as the referee soon blew time on the game and UCD’s reign as Collingwood Cup champions.

UL find themselves in the Collingwood Cup final in back-to-back years and once again they will face an opponent from the capital. Trinity College produced a stunning comeback to recover from being 3-1 down to force a penalty shootout against Maynooth which they won 6-5.

In an interesting quirk, President of UL Soccer, Professor Martin Hayes, finds himself conflicted as his son Oisin Hayes will start in goal for Trinity in tomorrow’s showpiece.

Following a pitch inspection on Tuesday evening a decision has been taken by the competition organisers to move the final from grass to an all-weather surface.

UL will look to claim an historic first ever Collingwood Cup title this, Wednesday, afternoon at 2pm at Knocknacarra FC’s Cappaph Park pitches.

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: Josh Coady (Aisling Annacotty); Joey Rushe (Regional United), Alex Cuddy (Treaty United), Tom Kelly (Aisling Annacotty), Conor Carew (Treaty United); Ewan O’Brien (Regional United), Eoin Redmond (Kinsale Albion), Tom Kidd (Aisling Annacotty); Leon Daly (Aisling Annacotty), Edmund O’Dwyer (St Michael's), Theo Joyce (Aisling Annacotty). Substitutes: Will Hayes (Wexford Argyle), Luke Ryan (Treaty United), Niall Barr (St Patrick's CY), Oisin Breen (Kerry FC), David McCarthy (Newmarket Celtic), Paudie Walsh (Janesboro FC), Ciaran Jennings (Aisling Annacotty).