Ucd (3) - St Patrick's Athletic (2)

UCD 3 - St Patrick's Athletic 2

UCD stunned St Pat's Athletic with three second half goals to secure the points at a wet and windy Belfield Bowl.

It truly was a game of two halves with the Inchicore side dominating the opening half and the home side the second.

Pat's took the lead through a Danny North shot on 20 minutes. But second half saw strikes from David McMillan, Ciaran Kilduff and a Greg Bolger penalty put UCD in control.

Sean Stewart slotted in a second for Pat's in injury time, but UCD held on for the win.

Pat's played with that very strong wind blowing in from the Clonskeagh end of the ground behind them in the first half and carved an opening on five minutes when Damian Lynch played a one-two with Dave McAllister and swung the ball in to the area but Vinny Faherty's header did trouble Billy Brennan in the College goal.

Immediately play moved to the other end and Karl Moore curled the ball into Chris Mulhall in the centre but his snap shot cannoned wide of the right hand post.

Pat's dominated the play as the game continued in miserable conditions and took the lead on 20 minutes when North pounced on a loose ball and smashed a cracking shot from over 25 yards out that gave Brennan no chance.

Pat's 'keeper Gary Rogers gave his side a scare on 23 when he nearly lost possession to Mulhall in the box but recovered well to clear the danger.

Rogers was on top form again on 28 to save a free from Karl Moore while at the other end Brennan saved well from Derek Doyle on 29.

North went close to making it 2-0 on 39 minutes when he met Lynch's free from deep on the right but, under pressure from Brennan, could only power his header over the bar.

UCD manager Martin Russell made a switch at the break, introducing McMillan for Graham Rusk, and it paid dividends less than a minute in when McMillan raced onto the ball just outside the area and unleashed a thundering strike that flashed past the diving Rogers and into the back of the net.

With the wind now behind them UCD continued the good work and Ciaran Kilduff could have increased the lead on 48 minutes when me met Greg Bolger's cross but sent his header off target.

The wind was not only behind UCD's backs but it was lifting their sails as well and they were ahead on 65 minutes.

A lot of UCD's good work in the opening half had come down the left wing and it was from that channel that an excellent ball was played into Kilduff who finished with a confident shot from the edge of the box.

Bolger increased College's lead further on 70 minutes from the penalty spot after Kilduff was taken down in the box. Stewart slotted in from close range for Pat's in the second minute of injury time but it was too little too late and UCD held on for the win.

© RTÉ Sport

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UCD 3 - St Patrick's Athletic 2

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