UCD 0 Derry C 0:UCD frustrated Derry City at the Brandywell last night, compounding what has been a disappointing week for the club. And Martin Russell was clearly the happier of the two managers afterwards, the UCD boss delighted his tactics had worked to perfection.
Having deployed a disciplined 4-5-1 formation – 4-3-3 – when in possession, Derry struggled to deal with the workrate and graft of the students. But, that said it was Derry who owned the ball but they failed to penetrate with Rory Patterson, Mark Farren and Stephen McLaughlin all struggling on the night.
Indeed, UCD could so easily have stolen the points had Cillian Morrison not missed the proverbial sitter with 10 minutes remaining, while Farren really should have netted at the death having directed his header straight at UCD’s alert goalkeeper Mark McGinley.
DERRY CITY: Doherty; Madden, McCallion, McBride, McCaffrey (McDaid, 84); McEleney, Higgins (McGroary, 87), Deery, McLaughlin; Patterson (Morrison, 74), Farren.
UCD: McGinley; Douglas, Leahy (Burke, 32), D. O’Connor, Nangle; Rusk (Lyons, 66), P. O’Connor, Benson, Ledwith, Langtry.
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).
