'A lot of the games will be exactly like that game we just played' - UCD boss Andy Myler hoping that his young guns will learn from mistakes ahead of the First Division run-in

Andrew Dempsey reports from the UCD Bowl

UCD boss Andy Myler is hopeful that his young side can learn from their costly mistakes on Monday night as they fell to a three-nil home defeat against Galway United.

The Students were well in the game until they fell a goal behind, but they were eventually well beaten by a strong Tribesmen performance in the last half-hour.

“The lesson for us tonight is that we need to be equal to that intensity (from Galway) for ninety minutes rather than forty-five minutes,” Myler told extratime.com.

“Galway came into the game needing a win to stay in the hunt which they have got but they still have a bit of ground to claw back.

“They’re a decent side and we knew that their position in the table was a bit false. We absolutely matched them in the first-half.”

He added: “We have no complaints; we didn’t stay in the game long enough and we got punished for it.

“It was a real learning for us tonight and if we are to have any sort of ambitions this year that’s the kind of games we need to get results out of.”

The result will come as a blow to UCD who came into the game off the back of an incredible eight-nil win over Wexford.

“We didn’t get too carried away with Friday because games like that happen,” Myler explained.

“They can be a little bit freaky. If we’re honest about it, Wexford got absolutely no luck and we got any sort of luck that was going.

“In fairness to the lads we didn’t get too carried away and you could see that in our second half performance.

“But for our side playing a side like that with so much experience is something that we need to take on between now and the end of the season.

“A lot of the games will be exactly like that game we just played, and we have to get results in those games.”

Last weekend also saw the Belfield side hand out another first-team debut – this time to midfielder Adam Verdon.

Verdon grabbed an assist during Friday’s eight-nil hammering of Wexford and has also become the latest player to be promoted from the club’s under-19s to the senior side.  

“We’re always trying to give young players a chance to play at the highest level,” Myler finished.

“Adam is a good player, Eoin Farrell and Evan Weir are there as well from our 19s set-up and we’ve got high hopes for them.

“That’s what you want to see but it can be difficult at times. It can be a bit more difficult to blood young guys when we’re in the heat of battle. They’ll get their chance and I’ve no doubts they’ll take it when they do.”