UCD reach first final - November 29, 2000
UCD 4 Limerick 0
UCD cruised through to their first-ever League Cup final last night with an all-too-easy win over first-division Limerick.
From the moment Clive Delaney lashed home the Students' fourth-minute opener from a short free kick, nothing went right for the Shannonsiders, who even had a McCarthy penalty saved by Barry Ryan.
UCD were 3-0 up by half time, after two goals in as many minutes by Ciaran Kavanagh and Mick O'Byrne. And by then Eoin Bennis too had missed a penalty, hitting the post with Fitzpatrick gone the wrong way.
Shell-shocked Limerick dug in in the second half and kept UCD at bay until the 86th minute, when Robert McAuley scored with a header.
But the first division outfit certainly never gave the impression that they were capable of pulling back three goals against the Students' capable defence.
UCD: B Ryan, McLoughlin, Delaney, McAuley, D Ryan, Quinn, Kavanagh, McDonnell, Martyn, O'Byrne, Bennis
Subs: Mahon for McDonnell 65, Kilmurray for Quinn 72, R Martin for Bennis 84
Goals: Delaney 4, Kavanagh 37, O'Byrne 38, McAuley 86
Limerick: Fitzpatrick, Dunphy, O'Halloran, White, Finnan, G Ryan, Weldrick, Hughes, Harmon, Keating, McCarthy
Subs: Tobin for Harmon 61, Flaherty for Keating 61
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin)