News

UL progress following draw with Carlow News: results

Posted On 5th Nov 2024
Posted By Men's Soccer
Author Mark Nolan (Fixtures Secretary)
Location Maguires Pitches, UL

CUFL Premier Division

University of Limerick 0-0 SETU Carlow

The University of Limerick secured their place in the quarter-finals of the CUFL Premier Division with a hard fought nil all draw against SETU Carlow at Maguire’s Pitches today. 

The visitors arrived Shannonside safe in the knowledge they would be in the knockout stages no matter the outcome while UL knew a draw would likely be enough to progress as a best third placed team. 

The game began at a high pace as Carlow looked to try and pull the home side out of shape and exploit long balls over the top of the defence. Their game plan however proved ineffective as Limerick’s centre back duo of Tom Kelly and Alex Cuddy snuffed out any aerial threats with relative ease. 

Carlow are well known for being a ball playing team and for periods of the first half they owned the ball but for all their possession they weren’t creating any chances. The UL midfield of Tom Kidd, Paul Brennan and Issac O’Sullivan hassled and harried their counterparts with the ball being played backwards and side to side more often than not. 


The tight nature of the game was clear to see for all those present as with thirty minutes on the clock neither side had managed a shot on target nor had they won a corner. UL would get the first sight on goal with ten minutes left in the half.


Conor Carew delivered an inviting cross from the right which was met by Brennan but his effort was well saved by the Carlow goalkeeper.


That was to be the highlight of a very uneventful opening forty five minutes. The second half was quite the opposite as within the opening five minutes Carlow saw a curled effort from the edge of the area narrowly go wide of the upright.


That shot brought UL out of their shell and theyd to really put their visitors under some pressure. Their front three of Donnacha O’Leary, Dean Hegarty and Leon Daly were all causing the Carlow defence headaches as the Shannonsidersd to get some joy with their counter attacks. 

With sixty minutes played UL had strong appeals for a handball in the penalty area waved away by the officials and just minutes later Tom Kelly came close to breaking the deadlock twice as he rose highest to meet the ball from two dangerous crosses. 

The game then returned to a familiar pattern with both sides probing for a breakthrough but clearcut chances failed to materialise until the final five minutes.

A scramble from a corner presented an opportunity for Carlow to break the deadlock but Josh Coady produced a superb save to keep his clean sheet intact.


As the clock ticked towards injury time UL were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position. Deadball specialist Joey Rushe stood over the ball and unleashed a venomous effort towards goal. 


A top quality strike was denied by a top quality save that even won applause from the Limerick bench. There would be yet more drama in the dying embers of the game as Kilkee native Leon Daly set of on a trademark run jinking past his marker before seeing his effort denied. 


Daly was again involved in the last chance of the game, his industrious work brought the ball to the edge of the area where it was picked up by Tom Kidd as he bore down on goal it looked as if the three points would be secured but his effort went over the bar.


The referee blew the full time whistle to bring a hard fought game to a close. UL now have to wait for the remaining fixtures in the other groups of conclude before they will learn their quarter-final opponents.  

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