Five-star UCD battle back to stun runaway leaders Cork City

Hans Mpongo and Ruari Keating had given the champions elect the lead on two separate occasions but a spirited students side put on a five star performance to ensure all three points stayed in Dublin.

Runaway First Division leaders Cork City fell to their third defeat on the spin despite leading twice as UCD got their first win in nine over the Rebel army. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile.

UCD 5 Cork City 2

Runaway First Division leaders Cork City fell to their third defeat on the spin despite leading twice as UCD got their first win in nine over the Rebel Army.

Hans Mpongo and Ruari Keating had given the champions elect the lead on two separate occasions but a spirited students side put on a five star performance, including a Mikey McCullagh stunner, to ensure all three points stayed in Dublin.

Reeling from the news that star skipper Eanna Clancy had departed to The Netherlands with VVV-Venlo the night before, the hosts fell behind to a bit of Mpongo magic as the league’s top scorer dropped a shoulder and curled a beautiful effort into the bottom corner after two minutes.

But just three minutes later the drum wielding UCD youths had something to cheer about when Killian Cailloce was sharp in the area, following some great work by Dignam, to finish from close range and it was game on again.

In a hugely entertaining opening period, the visitors regained the lead with less than 20-minutes played when Mpongo turned creator, clipping the ball towards strike partner Keating who contorted his body mid-air to side foot past the helpless Kavanagh.

Desperate to draw level again, the home side forced the visitors on the back foot and found another equaliser on the stroke of half time. Charles Akinrintayo showed great skill to skip down the outside and finish expertly into the near top corner.

Both wonderkid Cillian Murphy and Keating smashed the post for the riled up visitors after the break but it was Behan who stunned Barry Robson’s men when he swept home from 20-yards to give his side the lead for the first time.

With time running out, and City throwing bodies forward, the impressive hosts made sure of all three points when player of the match, Dignam, made it 4-2 with the goal his performance deserved.

There was still time for McCullagh to put the icing on the cake with an incredible strike from 25-yards out that rifled into the top corner.

UCD: Kavanagh; Lennox, Wells, Curtis; Cailloce, Dignam, Akinrintayo (Smith 66), Murphy; McCullagh, Behan, Cailloce.

Cork City: Brann; Feely (Nevin, 72), Kelleher, Lyons, Drinan; O’Keefe (Aidoo 72), Crowley, Bolger (Fitzpatrick 62), Mpongo; Murphy, Keating.

Referee: Declan Toland.