Resilient defending from First Division Monaghan United kept Premier Division opponents UCD at bay in a Ford FAI Cup encounter at Kingspan Century Park that produced no goals but was rarely less than absorbing.
The Students will reflect on a series of missed chances - including one from the penalty spot - in a game they often dominated, but Monaghan had opportunities for an upset as the match became stretched in its concluding period.
A second minute strike from Derek Doyle that thumped off the woodwork with United keeper Brendan Kennedy a spectator signalled UCD’s attacking intentions and they penned an already defensively minded Monaghan back for most of the first half.
What seemed an inevitable UCD breakthrough appeared to have come in the 30th minute when Shane Fitzgerald was fouled in the box by Kevin Williamson.
Fitzgerald took the penalty himself but saw Kennedy dive to his right and pull off a splendid save.
With Ronan Finn controlling the midfield UCD continued to create
chances, the best of which fell to Pat McWalter who sent his header from Sean Harding’s cross looping wide.
United forged a rare first half opportunity when Darren Meenan hustled an error out of Students’ centreback Alan McNally only to be denied by the outrushing Matt Gregg.
UCD stepped up the pace markedly in the second half, and Finn was
agonisingly close to finding the net from Fitzgerald’s low cross. But the tempo seemed to backfire on the visitors, who hit a legweary patch that allowed United into the game.
A crisp breakaway attack ended with Ian Maher striking the crossbar – then Monaghan substitute Eoin Lanigan wasted a glorious chance, shooting wide from three yards after great approach work by
Meenan.
The sending off of Wayne Byrne in the 86th minute plunged Monaghan into
some desperate late defending but Kennedy came to the rescue again, keeping out McNally’s header as the tie entered added time.
MONAGHAN UNITED: Kennedy; Whelan, Malone (Mooney h-time), Byrne, Williamson; Meenan, McCrossan (Hand 90),
Tierney, Maher, Gartland; Collins (Lanigan 76).
U.C.D.: Gregg; Harding, Kenna (Shortall 67), McNally, Bermingham; Fitzgerald, King, Finn, McWalter; Reilly (Forsyth
79), Doyle.
Referee: D Coombes
