Tie ended UCD 2- 2 Shelbourne (aet)
UCD won on penalties 3 – 1
Shelbourne exited the Leinster Senior Cup at the Belfield Bowl at the hands of UCD.
In what was an entertaining game, played on a very heavily sanded pitch, the sides were level 2-2 after extra time, with ‘College’ winning 3-1 in the penalty shootout.
The game was full of action right from the start, with both side set up to attack.
Shelbourne’s Dylan Cashin scored with an unstoppable shot from outside the penalty area after just six minutes, which was equalised by the ‘students’ Samir Belhout just minutes later with a close in header.
Just minutes later, Shelbourne were awarded a penalty, for which referee Simon Rogers dished out a yellow card to former Shels player, Gareth Matthews. UCD’s keeper Mark McGinley got down low to save the spot kick from Shane Dolan.
The remainder of the half provided plenty of attacks from both sides, missed chances and saves from the keepers.
The second period carried on where the first left off, but it wasn’t until the 73rd minute for a goal, but when it came it was worth waiting on. An incredible first time strike from Shelbourne’s captain for the night, Adam O’Connor flashed past the UCD Keeper to put the Reds 2-1 up. The home side got back on terms, however, with Gary Burke slotting the ball past Nathan Murphy in the Shelbourne goal on 86 minutes. And so we headed for extra time!
With both side looking worn out after the 90 minutes exertion, extra time provided little in the way of excitement or constructive play and so it limped to a penalty shootout.
UCD scored their first, third and fifth penalty (Kavanagh, Clarke and Morrison) while the visitors only success was registered by Brian Gannon (second in running order)
UCD AFC:Mark McGinley, Gareth Matthews, Sean Coyne,Hugh Douglas, Michael Scott, Barry McCabe (James Kavanagh), Colin Crowe, Gary Burke, thomas O’Halloran (Dean Clarke), Dwayne Wilson (Cillian Morrison), Samir Belhout
Shelbourne FC: Nathan Murphy, Simon Dixon, Lee Desmond (Sean McGrane), Adam O’Connor, Ryan Robinson (Brian Gannon), Shane Dolan (Michael Duffy), GarethCoughlan, Dylan Cashin, Matthew Taylor, Jake Donnelly, Darren Tinnelly.
