Shamrock Rovers 3 UCD 0
Champions Shamrock Rovers survived a couple of early scares before duly getting their quest for three-in-a-row titles off to a winning start against newly promoted UCD at Tallaght Stadium.
Alan Mannus snuffed out a brace of excellent chances from Liam Kerrigan before Rovers took control late in the first half with goals from Sean Hoare and Danny Mandroiu. Graham Burke added the gloss to a dominant second half display with a third strike late on.
Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, who watched from the stand as he served a suspension, made three changes from the side following last week’s below par display in the President’s Cup win over St Patrick’s Athletic on penalties.
In came Roberto Lopes, who captained the side in the centre of a back three, while there was a debut for Andy Lyons at right wingback as Rory Gaffney led the attack.
UCD started eight players who were 21 or under, with debuts for defender Eric Yoro, 17, and midfielder Dylan Duffy, 18.
Despite enjoying good possession from the off, Rovers made nothing of three early corners as UCD showed their attacking threat on 15 minutes. Evan Caffrey’s first time pass put winger Kerrigan through on goal. However Mannus stood up well to make the save, though Kerrigan really should have scored.
UCD then blew another excellent opening three minutes later. Sean Brennan’s terrific diagonal ball sent Kerrigan in behind once more with Mannus saving well, this time with his legs.
It was the 33rd minute before Mandroiu registered Rovers’ first effort on target when shooting weakly at Lorcan Healy.
Six minutes later Rovers were ahead after Barry Cotter, on for the injured Neil Farrugia, who went off with what looked like a hamstring injury, won their fifth corner of the night.
The set piece worked a threat this time with Jack Byrne’s delivery precision itself as defender Hoare arrived at the near post to score with a glancing header.
And the mercurial Byrne was the architect again in first half added time with a sublime arced ball in for Mandroiu to find the top corner of the net with a brilliant diving header.
Healy deprived Mandroiu of a second seven minutes into the second half with a point-blank save after Byrne fed Gaffney out wide left to send in the cross.
Mandroiu then drilled a deflected shot off the butt of a post before Healy again thwarted him with the save of the game on 65 minutes. Substitute Burke did finally beat Healy for a third time on 82 minutes, availing of a defensive mistake by Sam Todd to drill home from inside the area.
Shamrock Rovers: Mannus: Hoare, Lopes, Grace; Lyons, Watts (Towell, 69), O'Neill, Farrugia (Cotter, 37); Byrne (Burke, 74), Mandroiu (Greene, 69); Gaffney (Emakhu, 74).
UCD: Healy; Gallagher (McEvoy, 45), Yoro, Todd, Osam (Norris, h-t); Keaney; Kerrigan, Brennan, Caffrey (Gill, 76), Duffy (Dignam, 76); Whelan (Lennon, 82).
Referee: John McLoughlin (Midlands).
Dundalk 2 Derry City 2
Derry City hit back twice to deny Stephen O’Donnell a winning start to his reign as Dundalk head coach at Oriel Park on Friday night.
Goals from debutants Steven Bradley and Mark Connolly in either half had the Lilywhites dreaming of a winning start to the season but on each occasion Ruaidhrí Higgins men responded within minutes through Joe Thomson and Jamie McGonigle as the sides had to settle for a point apiece.
In what was a fiery affair, both sides will feel they could have taken the three points with the hosts forcing several top saves from Brian Maher and McGonigle rattling the crossbar twice in quick succession at the other end.
Sam Bone, one of eight debutants in the Dundalk line-up, had three long range efforts in the first half - two of which were turned around the post by Maher while the other which rippled the side-netting.
It was another newbie to Oriel who lifted the roof off the place on 32 minutes though when he was released by Dan Williams before cutting in past Ciaran Coll and rifling a shot past Maher into the bottom left hand corner.
Derry would level on 41 minutes though with McGonigle breaking free up the right before squaring to Thomson to rifle high to the net.
Dundalk dominated the chances after the restart with Patrick Hoban hitting the crossbar early on and they deservedly restored their lead on 73 minutes when Mark Connolly bundled home Robbie Benson’s corner.
Their lead would last just five minutes though with McGonigle nodding in an equaliser from close range after a great break down the left by James Akintunde.
McGonigle could have won it for Derry late on but was denied by the crossbar twice in quick succession.
Dundalk: Shepperd; Bone, Connolly, Boyle, Macari (Hanratty 90); Williams (Ward 82), Benson, Doyle (Kelly 60); Bradley, Hoban, Adams (Sloggett 60).
Derry City: Maher; McJannet, Toal, Coll; Dummigan, Harkin (McEleney 62), Patching, Lafferty (Akintunde 62); Kavanagh, McGonigle, Thomson.
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).
