UCD team before CUFL Premier Division Final
[This article by John Hudson appeared in The Herald Striker supplement on Tuesday 07th March 2017]
UCD Finish Top of the Class
Skipper Belhout bows out by leading Belfield side to a sixth Premier Division title
UCD……………………………….4
UCC……………………………………3
by John Hudson
FOR UCD skipper Samir Belhout this is what dreams are made of in what was his final appearance for the Belfield side in a Colleges and Universities fixture after eight years.
But to sign off by leading UCD to a clear cut 4-1 victory over UCC at a rain lashed Home Farm to become Premier champions for the sixth time in 11 years was something he hadn’t even dared to dream of.
The long serving Belhout also added to his own collection of honours by picking up a fourth winners medal in this top flight competition which features quality sides from both colleges and universities. While on the last three occasions Belhout also captained the Belfield side.
All that plus the added bonus of grabbing the third goal himself to give his side some breathing space and then finally been named as Man of the Match. It certainly was some send off for the popular Belhout.
UCD looked determined to avenge their narrow defeat to UCC in their Irish Universities Collingwood Cup Final at Maynooth and their was no doubting their hunger to finish the season by capturing this major prize once again.
UCD looked the sharper side from early on and they dominated most of the possession in the opening half. Although Timmy Molloy, Gary O’Neill and Georgie Kelly did have early chances they had to wait until a minute before the break to finally go ahead.
Daire O’Connor quickly seized on some hesitancy in the UCC defence to take the ball past Sean McLoughlin and Sean O’Mahony before going on to coolly beat goalkeeper Kevin O’Brien with a clinical finish for the opening goal.
While the Belfield side had most of the first half play, UCC might have snatched an early lead when Shane Daly-Butz saw his shot from close in tipped onto the crossbar by UCD keeper Niall Corbet. Later Timmy Murphy headed past the post from a well delivered Sean o’Callaghan right wing cross.
The second half then got off to an explosive start with UCC levelling the game three minutes in when Daniel Pender beat Niall Corbet with a neat turn and shot from inside the area after a fine O’Callaghan cross.
That goal gave the Cork side a big boost but unfortunately they were quickly knocked back two minutes later with another UCD goal.
O’Connor burst through the Cork defence and just as he was about to shoot O’Brien raced out of his goal and upended him.
Referee Paul Tuite awarded the penalty, handed the ‘keeper a yellow card and O’Neill made no mistake from the spot kick to send the Belfield side in front.
Considering the penalty so soon after drawing level proved to be a real blow for UCC. Kelly might have hit a third UCD goal but his shot rebounded off the post while O’Neill had another good effort cleared off the goal line by Pender as UCC found themselves on the back foot.
More UCD pressure then saw them go on to seal the win in a devastating two minute spell. with 20 minutes remaining.
First skipper Belhout celebrated playing in his fourth Premier Final and already the holder of three previous winners medals by firing in the third goal in some style on 67 minutes to give UCD some breathing space.
Brilliant work on the left by Jason McClelland saw him get past Lucey and deliver the perfect square pass for Belhout to come in off the right wing and sweep the ball past a helpless O’Brien.
Two minutes later O’Connor and Kelly combined to set up McClelland for a fourth UCD goal.
The talented winger who had tormented the UCC back line all through the game picked up the ball on the left after O’Brien had blocked Kelly’s shot and cleverly ran on to squeeze the ball in at the near post from the narrowest of angles.
UCD are deserved Premier champions after they out played the Collingwood Cup winners with a brand of high quality football and clinical finishing that the Cork side failed to match.
UCD: Niall Corbet; Dan Tobin, Josh Collins, Liam Scales, Sean Coyne; Gary O’Neill, Timmy Molloy; Samir Belhout, Daire O’Connor, Jason McClelland; Georgie Kelly. Subs: Conor Cannon ( for O’Connor 69 mins), Greg Sloggett (for Kelly 71 mins), John Dineen (for Molloy 75 mins), Yousef Mahdy (for McClelland 85 mins), Maxim Kouogun, Gavin Sheridan, Ben Hanrahan
UCC: Kevin O’Brien; John Buttimer, Sean O’Mahony, Sean McLoughlin, Ben McAulliffe; Rob Lynch, Timmy Murphy, Sean O’Callaghan, Daniel Pender, Shane Daly-Butz; Darragh Lucey Subs: David Dalton (for Buttimer), David O’Gorman (for Murphy 75 mins), Mark Murphy (for O’Callaghan 85 mins), Alex O’Brien, Jason Cullinane, Cathal O’Hanlon, Dylan Bradley.
Referee: Paul Tuite Assistant Referees: Colin Duffy, Lee Duffy Fourth Official: Aidan O’Brien
