Cork City stay nine points clear despite stalemate with UCD

Cork City 0 UCD 0 

DESPITE their scoreless draw with UCD at Turner’s Cross on Monday, Cork City remain nine points clear at the top of the First Division after Athlone Town conceded a late equaliser against Finn Harps on the same evening. 

City will feel they should have won the game considering the amount of chances they created particularly in the first half but couldn’t find a way past Kian Moore in the UCD, who was excellent throughout.

Tim Clancy made four changes to the side that suffered a first defeat of the season against Athlone with Conor Drinan, Josh Fitzpatrick, Darragh Crowley and Cian Murphy coming into the starting 11 in place of Evan McLaughlin, Niall Brookwell, Barry Coffey and Greg Bolger.

A mazy run from Drinan led to the game’s opening chance with the player Moore with an effort from just outside the penalty area, which the keeper did well to hold onto.

It was a scrappy start to the game with neither side capable of maintaining possession for long periods. Both teams were surprisingly very physical in their approach with players frequently putting in heavy challenges.

The Rebel Army should have been ahead when Cian Bargary had a free header from inside the six-yard area but somehow he failed to get it past Moore. Although Moore did well to make himself big to prevent Bargary, the City player should have done better.

City were started to control the game midway through the half with the hosts pinning the Students in their own half. Josh Fitzpatrick called Moore into action again with the keeper parrying away the players’s powerful strike.

Moore continued to be kept busy with Jack Doherty forcing the keeper to get down low to prevent his free-kick going in.

Sean Murray came close to scoring a contender for goal of the season after the midfielder tried his luck from just inside his own half but unfortunately for him, Moore just managed to recover back to his goal line to tip the ball over the crossbar to keep the teams level at the break.

The Students almost broke then deadlock in the 60th minute when Donal Higgins’ deflected free-kick went just wide of the post.

Cian Coleman registered City’s first attempt on goal in the second half when he got on the end of Bargary’s cross, but the defender headed just off target.

Greg Bolger thought he had given City the lead with a low strike that looked destined to hit the net, but Moore managed to get his fingertips to the ball to push it around the post.

Ciaran Behan almost scored direct from a corner when his cross struck the crossbar with Brad Wade more than concerned.

CITY: Wade; Nevin, Coleman, Lyons, Drinan; Bargary, Crowley, Murray (Bolger 58), Doherty (Coffey 89), Fitzpatrick (Dijksteel 82); Murphy (Skieters 82). 

UCD: Moore; Dunne, Clancy, Holohan, Wells; Verdon, Finn (Brennan 62) (Mohan 77), Behan, McCullagh (Higgins 34) Doyle; Raggett (Bishop 62).

Referee: D Toland