Students hold Bulgars at bay-
June 19, 2000
UCD 3 FC Velbahzd
(Bulgaria) 3 The concession of three away goals may yet tell against the Students but UCD boss Martin Moran was full of praise for his side's fighting performance. "We haven't had a game for eight weeks, so it was inevitable that we would be rusty," Moran said. "But I was very pleased with my team's performance in the hot conditions." The Eircom League side struck first when defender Robert McAuley headed home John Martin's header after twelve minutes. But the lead lasted just five minutes: wing back Hristev skipped past Clive Delaney and Robert Dunne to set up Ivan Stoyched eight yards from goal. The Bulgarians went ahead three minutes before the interlude. Stoyched turned provider, playing in Mihaylov. But the students equalised when McAuley spotted Eoin Bennis' run and delivered the perfect pass. Disaster struck within three minutes. Yugoslav referee Bejan Delevie pointed to the UCD penalty spot a harmless-looking challenge by Alan Mahon on Stoyanov. Substitute Velichkov put the kick away. The Students kept their heads up though and got their reward on 76 minutes when Ciaran Martyn finished off Robert McAuley's free kick. UCD travel to Bulgaria for the second leg on Sunday, June 25.
| Ireland: UCD: Ryan, McLaughlin, Delaney, McAuley, Mahon, Martin, Kavanagh, O'Donnell, Dunne, O'Byrne, Bennis Subs:Martyn for O'Donnell 67; Kilmurray for Bennis 77; Timmons for Martin 88 Goals McAuley 12, Bennis 60, Martyn 67 FC Velbazhd:Petkov, Kolev, Goshev, Koten, Pavlov, G. Petrov, Litera, Stoyaanov, Hristev, Mihaylov, Stoyched Subs - Velichkov for Litera 58; R. Petrov for Pavlov 70; Metouchev for Mihaylov 79 Goals Stoyched 17, Mihaylov 42, Velichkov (pen) 63 Referee Bejan Delevie (Yugoslavia) |