College reach seventh heaven on Mayday for Mayfield | Stephen Barry
UCC 7Mayfield United 0UCC’s senior soccer team left the rest of the MSL Premier Division in no doubt as to the scope of their intentions for the year ahead as they ruthlessly dismantled an injury hit Mayfield United side on Saturday the 10th.After an unsteady start to their top-flight return, UCC have pushed themselves up among the big guns with three league wins on the trot, in which time they’ve scored 13 goals and kept three clean sheets. And while they’ve yet to take points from any of the big guns, the foundations have been laid for a major assault on the upper echelons of the league – UCC now have the league’s top goal difference; and almost needless to elaborate, Mayfield the worst.In the course of the ninety, UCC showed themselves to be a well-balanced outfit. They created regular problems for the Mayfield back four in the first half, and incessant problems when the visitors to the Farm switched to a defensive trio after the break. Meanwhile at the other end, Mayfield’s attack was effectively nullified with goalkeeper Ryan Price left trying to keep himself warm from the biting winter wind.However lest the win be overstated for its impressive performance, it shouldn’t be kept as a footnote that Mayfield showed up with only three subs and without several key players including Dave Warren, Jamie Murphy, Mickey O’Shea and goalkeeper, Shane Sherlock.Ultimately it was the pace of the UCC frontmen which put the Mayfield lambs to the slaughter, as their defence couldn’t match the speed of Simon Holland and Josh O’Shea; an advantage which UCC, no innocent lambs themselves, ruthlessly exploited with a variety of long balls over the top and diagonal balls in behind, all designed to turn the Mayfield backs.UCC dictated the tempo from the off with early chances falling to O’Shea and Eoin Kilcommons. A brief lull ensued until Holland latched onto a long ball and attempted to lob Richard Quane, Mayfield’s junior keeper on other afternoons. Quane’s fingertips kept it out but O’Shea was the next man to arrive on the scene and nodded the bouncing ball home; 1-0 after 25 minutes.Quane had to tidy up the next two long balls before the third, like a good kick to touch in rugby, set up UCC for a sustained period of possession in the opposition half with Steve Mahon finally blasting a rising shot into the opposition net after a Holland lay off; 2-0 after 39 minutes.The next goal effectively ended Mayfield’s hopes as not only did it put them three down; it broke their spirit and discipline too. O’Shea lashed a shot just wide of the near post, only for it to ricochet off of the upper stanchion and fall at the feet of Holland who cheekily rolled the ball over the goalline. Then to the indignation and incredulity of the Mayfield contingent, the referee pointed towards the centre circle; 3-0 after 42 minutes!After the break a speculative Kilcommons shot from distance went through Quane’s hands, dropping over his shoulder and into the net; 4-0 after 48 minutes.With their team talk effectively laid to waste, Mayfield’s next concession wasn’t long in coming. O’Shea beat his man with a stepover and flick and his cross evaded Quane to leave Kilcommons with the task of sidefooting the ball home; 5-0 after 52 minutes.Mayfield, without any defenders on the bench, culled three midfielders but that did little to stem the tide as O’Shea continued where he left off. He butchered a two-on-one with the Quane after good work before atoning by showing strength and speed in the course of a long run and squaring to Cathal Lordan for a tap-in; 6-0 after 67 minutes.This goal was the final straw for Mayfield who responded by racking up three yellow cards in as many minutes, including two more for abusing the referee. However little was done to shut the floodgates with Kilcommons coming close and Lordan even closer, after a Paul Lawless through ball. Yet Kilcommons wouldn’t be denied his hat trick, pushing forward at every opportunity, and eventually firing home with his left with two minutes on the clock; 7-0 to UCC the final score.UCC: Ryan Price; Daniel Murphy, James O’Brien, Andy Neville, Shane O’Callaghan; Calvin O’Callaghan, Andrew Gannon, Steve Mahon, Eoin Kilcommons; Simon Holland, Josh O’Shea. Subs: Paul Lawless for Gannon (55), Cathal Lordan for Holland (57), Dylan McNamara for Mahon (65). Unused: David Tobin and David Philpot.Mayfield: Richard Quane; Johnny Buckley, Dave Kiely, Paul Condon, Greg Kelly; Billy Tabbs, Dean Brosnan, Graham Keane, Stephen Hurley; Robert Brosnan, Kristen Dennehy. Subs: Damien Roddis for Keane, Michael Carroll for Tabbs, Eoin Sexton for D Brosnan (all 57).