News
UL stun Carlow with 3-0 away win News: results
| Posted On | 17th Oct 2023 |
|---|---|
| Posted By | Men's Soccer |
| Author | Mark Nolan (Fixtures Secretary) |
| Location | SETU Main Campus, Carlow |
CUFL Premier Division Group 3
SETU Carlow 0-3 University of Limerick
The University of Limerick continued their fine start to the league campaign with an impressive win away to SETU Carlow this afternoon.
Encounters between these two sides rarely disappoint and that was the case once again as two conflicting of football went head to head. The first chance of the game fell to UL as a fourth minute throw-in was scrambled clear by the Carlow defence.
After that clear cut chances came at a premium in the opening quarter, the home side enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but struggled to break through the resolute Limerick defence. Several attempted passes looked to slip their wingers in behind but UL were never troubled often guiding the ball out for a goal kick.
As the half wore on UL grew in to the game and would have the next real chance, a Joey Rushe free kick was floated in to the box where Eoin Redmond rose highest only to see his header go just over the bar.
UL disrupted a Carlow attack in the thirtieth minute with winger Theo Joyce producing a moment of pure quality as he took possession of the ball inside his own half. The Connemara native accelerated away from his marker and left two more Carlow players in his wake as he reached the edge of the area. His cross was well hit but unfortunately it was unable to find one of his teammates.
Just two minutes later Joyce was again influential for UL as he linked up with Alex Sidorov on the edge of the area. The ball was eventually played to Leon Daly who unleashed a venomous strike that went narrowly wide.
As the clock reached added time in the first half UL once again created a chance from a corner with Tom Kelly the latest player to head just wide. Carlow were well aware of the danger their visitors posed and looked to hit them with a sucker punch just before the break. As they surged forward on a dangerous counterattack there was a real sense of danger however, a superb defensive tackle from Redmond snuffed out the danger seeing the sides head in to the break level.
Spurred on by their half-time jaffa cakes the opening ten minutes of the second half was much more open compared to that of the first. With forty nine minutes played Hampus Fredriksson broke at speed and looked to play in the mercurial Daly, his pass however was just too strong for the Clareman to reach.
As had been the case in the opening moiety Carlow looked to exploit the wings as they attempted to break the deadlock and Conor Carew was kept busy cutting out any danger coming down the left wing.
With sixty minutes played Joyce once again was the dangerman for the Shannonsiders, he cut in leaving his marker for dead before whipping in an inviting cross that just missed the heads of two UL attackers.
It was very much a case of when not if the opening goal would arrive and Carlow came closest first. A quick break down the right wing in the sixty second minute saw the ball fired across the face of goal but amazingly it evaded the Carlow forwards with UL clearing the danger and launching an attack of their own. The ever dangerous Leon Daly was fouled on the right wing gifting UL a free kick in a dangerous position.
Left back Joey Rushe had already shown glimpses of his talent over a dead ball and the Regional United man sent the ball towards the front post. Eoin Redmond had timed his run to perfection losing his marker before guiding a diving header into the bottom corner of the Carlow net with sixty three minutes played.
The home side looked to respond immediately but in doing so they left themselves vulnerable with Joyce creating yet another chance, his cross found Carew just inside the area, the defender powered the ball towards goal but his effort was blocked and eventually cleared. The men from the Treaty County could smell blood in the water and would increase their advantage in the sixty ninth minute.
Turning over possession UL surged forward and sent the ball in to the mixer, this was scrambled clear but the danger was not averted as the ball fell to Redmond just outside the area. The Corkman took a second to compose himself before dispatching the ball into the bottom corner of the Carlow net with gusto.
The hosts were well and truly at panic stations now as they desperately looked to find a way back into the contest. UL could easily have stretched their lead to three after seventy two minutes when Fredriksson slipped the ball through to Joyce who found himself one on one with the keeper, a deft chip was just tipped away by the shot-stopper.
Despite conceding more chances Carlow were not out of the game and Josh Coady produced a fine save from a seventy sixth minute corner to keep UL’s two goal advantage intact. Coady was again called into action in the seventy ninth minute to deny the hosts.
Carlow launched an aerial bombardment of the Limerick box but the centre half partnership of Tom Kelly and Alex Cuddy dealt with this with relative comfort as they rebuffed the Carlow advances.
Chances were still coming for UL and only a superb save from the Carlow goalkeeper denied a powerful strike from Limerick captain Ewan O’Brien in the eighty third minute. The wait for a third goal wouldn’t go on for long as just two minutes later the Limerickmen were once again celebrating.
Substitute Ciaran Jennings conjured up a cross of the highest quality from the extreme left picking out Daly at the back post. The winger made no mistake to head home UL’s third five minutes from time ending any slim hopes of a Carlow fightback.
UL were not content with a three goal lead and looked to add icing to their cake through substitute Donnacha O’Leary, the winger’s fresh legs saw him race through on goal however the Carlow keeper did well to spread himself well to insure the game ended 0-3.
Limerick sit top of Group 3 in the Premier Division with two wins from two games and a spot in the quarter-finals now guaranteed. They will hope to continue their strong form next Tuesday when they welcome SETU Waterford to Maguires Astros.
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