League Cup semi-final/Derry City 3 UCD 0:League Cup specialists Derry City last night moved one game closer to winning the competition for the third consecutive time when they defeated UCD 3-0 at the Brandywell last night. Three second-half goals, one a moment of pure magic by Pat McCourt, booked Derry's final spot against Bohemians.
Derry dominated the first half but failed to make their possession pay.
City manager John Robertson's half-time talk worked as Derry overpowered UCD in a one-sided second half.
Ciaran Martyn sparked off the scoring spree with a superb 20-yard dipping right-foot volley in the 53rd minute.
Ten minutes later UCD's cause suffered another blow when right back Alan Mahon was red-carded for an off-the-ball foul on Killian Brennan.
Derry surged further ahead in the 68th minute when, from Sammy Morrow's precise cross from the right wing, striker Kevin McHugh headed the ball into the net.
McCourt's 83rd-minute goal was the best scored at the Brandywell this season. He collected the ball in midfield and went on a mazy run which took him past four UCD players before he drilled a low shot into the net from an acute angle.
DERRY CITY:Jennings, McCallion, Hutton, Oman, McChrystal, (McGlynn 46), McCourt, Molloy, Martyn, (Sharkey 85), McHugh, (Farren 78), Morrow, Brennan.
UCD:Gregg, Mahon, Kenna, McDonnell, Bermingham, Fitzgerald, King, (McWalter 58), McFaul, Finn, Sammon, Doyle (Crowley 87).
Referee: David McKeon, Dublin.
* Republic of Ireland Under-19 manager Sean McCaffrey has named a 20-man squad for next week's double-header of friendly games against Portugal. The matches on September 4th and 6th (both 7.30pm) are preparations for the first-phase Uefa qualifying series.
IRELAND UNDER-19 SQUAD:Shane Redmond (Nottingham Forest), David Bevan (Aston Villa), Cian Hughton (Tottenham Hotspur), Brendan Moloney (Nottingham Forest), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Noel Haverty (St Patrick's Athletic), Garry Breen (Manchester City), Ian Bermingham (UCD), Daniel Earls (Aston Villa), Michael Spillane ( Norwich City), Graham Carey (Celtic), David Hutton (Tottenham Hotspur), Paul Marshall (Manchester City), Lorcan Fitzgerald (West Ham), James McCarthy (Hamilton Academicals), Alan Lynch (Bohemians), Paul Cahillane (Celtic), Donal McDermott (Manchester City), Cillian Sheridan (Celtic), Ian Daly (Manchester City).
