FIVE FOR LONGERGAN AS UCD BLOW ATU SLIGO AWAY

UCD: IN RAMPANT MOOD AGAINST THEIR WESTERN VISITORS AT BELFIELD. PICS: EAMON SCOTT

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FOOTBALL

PREMIER DIVISION NORTH

UCD ……6  ATLANTIC TU-SLIGO.. 1

By John Hudson

Tommy Lonergan went on a scoring spree to notch five of the six UCD goals to comprehensively overcome Atlantic TU Sligo at Belfield as UCD continued their bid to regain the Colleges and Universities League Premier Division title.

Ciaran Behan was the other UCD scorer in a rather one sided game that saw the Belfield side prove to be much too strong for the less experienced but talented North West outfit.

ATU SLIGO: TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE SHIPPING SIX GOALS

Having secured their SSE Airtricity League Premier Division status for another season with Lonergan’s goal against Waterford in the promotion/relegation play off final at Richmond Park on Friday night UCD manager Diarmuid McNally was able to call on several of that squad for the first time in this campaign.

UCD began the game with five starters from the Waterford fixture with five more from Friday’s squad on the bench.

The win takes UCD to nine points in the Premier North table with rivals for a top finish and a coveted semi-final place the holders TU Dublin currently on six and Maynooth University on three but both have games in hand on UCD.  

FIVE STAR LONERGAN: SUPERB HAUL OF FIVE GOALS FOR UCD

First year student Lonergan has caught the eye of several clubs both at home and overseas with his performances since establishing himself in his short time at UCD and testimony to his goal scoring prowess was clearly demonstrated in this game.

Funnily enough his opener arrived on 15 minutes the same time as he headed the precious goal against Waterford.

This time there was a modicum of luck about it when he blocked a clearance by Sligo goalkeeper James Robinson and the ball spun into the net.

The same could be said about the second ten minutes later when Lonergan’s fierce drive took a deflection and wrong-footed Robinson.

Goal number three came on the half hour with another of Lonergan’s cracking drives that arrowed through the Sligo back line and left Robinson helpless.

Sligo had been on the back foot for most of the half until a couple of minutes before the break when they showed how dangerous they could be.

Rossa McAllister gave up possession and left winger Jicek Miroslav was able to get to the back line and his neat cross found the unmarked Bradley Fowler in the box and he had it all too easy to head past Lorcan Healy.

However, UCD quickly responded and Ciaran Behan gained possession on the right flank and cut in and shoot low past Robinson to see them go in at the break with a comfortable 4-1 advantage.

Lonergan wasted little time on the resumption to continue his scoring run gliding past several defenders and slotting home his fourth of the afternoon on 51 minutes.

The minutes later he quickly seized on a rebound from Behan’s effort to shoot past Robinson for a fifth and leave UCD 6-1 in front.

Donal Higgins and Tobi Jinad had chances to increase the lead as UCD bid to boost their goal tally as insurance ahead of a likely close finish to the league’s first phase.

Sligo to their credit stayed competitive in difficult circumstances and Fowler might have grabbed a goal or two more but his best effort was kept out by Healy’s brilliant flying save.

UCD will conclude their regular season programme in a fortnight when they visit TU Dublin at Blanchardstown for what promises to be a real showdown affair.  

UCD: Lorcan Healy; Michael Gallagher, Harvey O’Brien, Jack Keaney, Danny Norris; Rossa McAllister, Sean Brennan; Donal Higgins, Dara Keane, Ciaran Behan; Tommy Lonergan. Subs: Matthew Scott (for Brennan 62), Tobi Jinad (for Behan 66), Danu Kinsella Bishop (for Gallagher 80). Not used: Matthew Treanor, Shane McCreery, Tommy Tonge, Billy Griffin.

ATLANTIC TU-SLIGO: James Robinson; Dylan Walsh, Peter Maguire, Gareth McAllister, Bryan Lynch; James McGrath, Sean McAteer; Conor Campbell, Jason Devaney, Miroslav Jicek; Leo Doherty. Subs: Bradley Fowler (for Campbell 20), Kailum Byens (for Jicek 54), Niall Murphy (for McGrath 70), Orin Mitchell(for Walsh 80), Josh Gilligan (for Devaney 88). Not used: Ultan McKenna, Caoilte Brannigan.

ROBBIE BYRNE, JIMMY KEATING AND JACK KEATING