Cork City left stunned as UCD grab five-goal haul in third successive defeat

UCD 5 

Cork City 2 

And just like that, City are hit with five painful doses of reality against UCD.

It’s not quite time panic stations just yet. Their lead at the top of the table remains a very healthy 14 points. But if the Leesiders fail to win next week away to Finn Harps, sirens will be sounded.

Barry Robson’s side were not awful during this trip to Dublin. The final score completely warps the difference in performance. But that’s still nine goals conceded in their last two league games. Compared with a total of nine from their previous 22 league games, it’s damaging. Really damaging.

The teams were tied at the break at the UCD Bowl on Friday evening, 2-2. And City were well in control up until the hour mark. They should have been in front at that point, Cillian Murphy had been a real threat to the Students. Brilliant footwork down the right from the City starlet set him up for a 52nd minute opportunity, but his shot across goal came off the post.

But it was in the 59th minute that Ciaran Behan picked his spot and let fly from outside the box. The ball sailed in beautifully, giving UCD the advantage.

City didn’t panic, though. They pressed on, and while Greg Bolger was a little fortunate not to have seen a red card after a high boot, City they remained the better side.

They couldn’t create anything concrete enough, though, and paid the price in the 85th minute. A short corner to Louis Dignam gave the 22-year-old the chance to seal it, and he buried it.

And, as if City’s night couldn’t get any worse, Michael McCullagh popped up with the best of the seven goals. From well outside the box, he faked left, faked right, then cut back on to his left side and floated a stunner into the top corner to nail the fifth in the 94th minute.

Now they require a big response against Harps.

It had all started so well too for City. They propelled themselves into the lead inside two minutes after an aggressive run from Conor Drinan allowed the wing-back to play Hans Mpongo in, and he curled his right-footed shot into the bottom corner.

UCD hit back swiftly, Dignam teed up Behan and while Brann did well to make the close range stop, Killian Cailloce was all alone to tap it in with six minutes on the clock.

Rory Feely raced down the flank in the 16th minute and fired a threatening ball across the box, but it proved out of reach for Mpongo.

Then, three minutes later, the visitors grabbed their second. Three consecutive headers, from Lyons to Drinan to Crowley, sent Mpongo away, and he raced to the line before cutting it back to Keating, who finished cutely to the net.

It felt as though City would pull away from there – Mpongo continued to cause problems for the hosts – but UCD had a couple of decent opportunities, the best of which came from an Adam Wells free-kick that Brann met with an outrageous stretching save in the 38th minute.

They broke through for another equaliser shortly after, as Charles Akinrintoyo darted down the left wing and fired one in from the tightest of angles, his shot rattling the crossbar on its way in.

And at that stage, while UCD had kept themselves in the game, City looked a gear ahead.

But once again, the Rebel Army were shown how little that counts for when you fail to take your chances.

UCD (4-2-3-1): Kavanagh; L Cailloce, Lennox, Curtis, Murphy; Dignam, Wells; Behan, Akinrintoyo (Smith 67), McCullagh; K Cailloce.

CORK CITY (3-4-3): Brann; Feely (Nevin 72), Kelleher, Lyons; O’Keeffe (Aidoo 72), Bolger (Fitzpatrick 62), Crowley, Drinan; Murphy; Mpongo, Keating.

Referee: D Toland (Westmeath)