Shamrock Rovers 1 UCD 1
An out-of-sorts Shamrock Rovers dropped two crucial points to plucky UCD side after this entertaining south-Dublin derby at Tallaght Stadium.
Eamon Zayed put Rovers ahead on 24 minutes but they couldn’t build on their lead and Robbie Benson punished them on 65 minutes with the equaliser for UCD.
Rovers looked a shadow of the side that had beaten Derry City so well at the same venue seven nights previously.
Their first shot on target came on 18 minutes when Ronan Finn fired from outside the area but the former UCD man directed his effort straight at goalkeeper Mark McGinley.
UCD then threatened on 20 minutes when Craig Walsh broke free on the right and curled a brilliant shot which flashed inches wide of Richard Brush’s right hand upright.
Rovers took the lead on 24 minutes when Stephen Rice’s initial shot was blocked and the ball fell for Zayed to shoot under the diving McGinley.
The home side began to dominate after that and Ken Oman could have put them further ahead on 39 minutes when he got on the end of Sean O’Connor’s corner kick but his powerful header went wide before Finn shot wide of the target on 42 minutes.
UCD got back on level terms against the run of play on 65 minutes when Clarke's cross from the right found Benson who headed home.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Brush; Sullivan, Oman, Foran, Powell; O'Connor, Chambers (McCormack h/t), Finn (G McCabe 80 mins), Rice, Stewart (Sheppard 74 mins); Zayed.
UCD: McGinley; Mathews, Douglas, O'Connor, Langtry; Benson, Creevy, Walsh (B McCabe 81 mins), Kavanagh, Russell; Clarke.
Referee: P McLaughlin (Monaghan).
