Students battle hard but its Pats cup - February 13,
2001
UCD 2 St. Patrick's Athletic 2 (Agg: 3-5)
UCD put up a brave battle in last night's League Cup final second leg in Belfield - but the first silverware of the season is safely on display in Richmond Park this morning.
The Saints carried a 3-1 advantage into last night's game and once they had extended that lead to 5-1 - before half time - the tie was as good as over.
Once again, St. Pat's proficiency at set pieces was more than UCD could cope with: there were simply too many big men for the Students to mark adequately every time Martin Russell stepped up to take a corner or a free kick.
One of them. Colm Foley, rose highest to head home a Russell corner after just eight minutes. UCD tried hard to get back on terms on the night, but Seamus Kelly twice saved well from Derek Swan.
Then Russell struck again, this time from a free kick. UCD's Tony McDonnell did manage to get a head to it but succeeded only in directing it as far as Darren Maguire, who sidefooted home from point-blank range.
With a four-goal cushion, the visitors understandably took their foot off the gas - but credit to UCD's fighting qualities too as they set about restoring their pride. This they achieved, with two good goals to restore parity on the night.
Eamonn McLaughlin had been unable to start the game because of an injury but he came on just after half time and made a big difference. It was he who scored UCD's first - a cracking volley from just outside the box.
The Students continued to press but their old failings in front of goal left them down again and it wasn't until three minutes from the end that veteran Derek Swan bagged the equaliser after good work by Ciaran Kavanagh.
UCD: Ryan, Mahon, McDonnell, McAuley, O'Donnell, Bennis, Kavanagh, Martyn, O'Meara, Swan, R Martin
Subs: Fitzpatrick for R Martin 53, McLaughlin for Mahon 53, Quinn for Bennis 53
Goals: McLaughlin, Swan
St. Patrick's Athletic: S Kelly, Croly, S McGuinness, Foley, Burke, R McGuinness, Maguire, Griffin Russell, McCarthy, L Kelly
Subs: Quinn for McCarthy 58, Drew for Russell 78, Holt for L Kelly 79
Goals: Foley, Maguire
Referee: Damien Hancock, Dublin