18.00 23 Jul 2015 -
Referee:
Europa League Report: UCD 1 - 5 Slovan Bratislava
- Dave Donnelly
- Thu, Jul 23 2015
View photos from UCD's defeat to Slovan Bratislava by clicking here.
Slovakian international striker Robert Vittek scored three times as UCD's European adventure ended with a brutally harsh 5-1 defeat at home to Slovan Bratislava.
Vittek ended the tie as a contest shortly before half time when he charged onto Martin Milinkovic's headed pass to crash home a headed goal, and he added two more in injury after Adam Zrelak and Kornel Salata broke the Students' second-half resistance.
UCD manager Collie O'Neill stuck with the same starting eleven that began the game in Bratislava, with top scorer Ryan Swan the lone frontman. Ryan McLaughlin – who starred at full back in the home leg against Dudelange – returned to the bench after recovering from a broken hand.
Slovan coach Dušan Tittel made three changes to the side that triumphed in Bratislava but could stil call on the services of eight full internationalists. Richard Lasik and Frantisek Kubik were recalled, while Martin Dobrotka replaced Nicolas Gorosito after the defender was sent off for a horror tackle on Robbie Benson.
The visitors began the game on the front foot, and Lasik tested College goalkeeper Niall Corbet with a snapshot on the stroke of 60 seconds, moments later Chris Mulhall capitalised on a sloppy pass from Samuel Stefanik before driving just wide of the target from 25 yards.
The bigger and stronger Slovan side dominated possession but were limited to half-chances for much of the opening period, with a Milinkovic free kick that dipped narrowly over the crossbar the best of their early opportunities.
The Students were having trouble making the ball stick in the Slovan half, but Swan adjusted to the physical challenge of the Slovakian defenders as the match wore on, and he used his pace to spring the offside trap and force a save from Mucha, before providing Jamie Doyle with a similar opportunity moments later.
The visitors' greater quality began to show as the half wore on, however, and UCD were grateful to Corbet for an outstanding save as Adam Zrelak steered the ball towards goal from point blank range, but the keeper managed to shovel the ball away, and Tomás Boyle did equally well to deny Vittek from the resulting corner.
The Students were dealing with the pressure comfortably, however, which may explain the sequence of events that led to Vittek's opening goal as they were caught committed in attack and fell victim to a ruthless counter attack as Vittek struck four minutes before half time.
Slovan appeared for the second half determined to press home their advantage and should have made it 2-0 within 60 seconds as Frantisek Kubik blazed wide with the goal gaping, but they had a deserved second in the 49th minute when Zrelak danced through three challenges and slid the ball past Corbett.
UCD pulled a goal back against the run of play as Swan – now the club's record goalscorer in Europe with three – charged down a defensive clearance and ran half the length of the field before slotting the ball coolly past Mucha.
Swan almost levelled matters when Benson – who'd had a quiet game until then – played the striker in on goal but Mucha was out quickly to block the striker's goalbound shot and preserve the visitors' lead, and again denied him a tap-in from substitute Conor Cannon's cross.
They were made to rue the missed opportunities as Slovan wrapped up the game ten minutes from time when Kornel Salata rose unopposed to head home a Milinkovic corner and restore the two-goal cushion they deserved on the sheer volume of chances created.
Sub Eoin Kirwan forced another good save from Mucha in the final minutes, but it was Vittek who had the final say as he scored twice in injury time, first rounding Corbett and then heading home Zrelak's cross, to cap his hat-trick and wipe the gloss from an excellent UCD performance.
UCD: Niall Corbet; Maxim Kouogun, Mark Langtry, Mick Leahy, Tomás Boyle; Gary O'Neill, Jamie Doyle (Eoin Kirwan 76), Dylan Watts (Conor Cannon 56), Chris Mulhall (Samir Belhout 88), Robbie Benson; Ryan Swan.
Subs not used: Conor Mackey (gk), Ryan McLaughlin, Adam Harney, Jack Watson.
Booked: Benson (88).
SK Slovan Bratislava: Jan Mucha; Boris Sekulic, Martin Dobrotka (David Hudak 69), Kornel Salata, Jakub Podany; Marko Milinkovic (Lukas Gasparovic 83), Samuel Stefanik, Richard Lasik, Frantisek Kubik (Filip Orsula 67), Adam Zrelak; Robert Vittek.
Subs not used: Martin Krnac (gk), Timotej Zahumensky, Tamas Priskin.
Booked: None.
Referee: Ognjen Valjic (BIH).
Attendance: 1,361.
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Robert Vittek (Slovan Bratislava).
Subs
Subs
P | Team | Pd | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peamount Utd | 20 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 52 |
2 | Shels FC | 20 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 46 |
3 | Shamrock Rvrs | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 45 |
4 | Galway Women | 20 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 38 |
5 | Athlone | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 35 |
6 | Bohs | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 31 |
7 | Wexford W | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 28 |
8 | DLR Waves | 20 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 13 |
9 | Sligo | 20 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 11 |
10 | Treaty Utd | 20 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 8 |
11 | Cork City W | 20 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 6 |
P | Team | Pd | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Galway | 36 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 94 |
2 | Waterford | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 69 |
3 | Cobh | 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 59 |
4 | Wexford | 36 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 53 |
5 | Athlone | 36 | 14 | 5 | 17 | 47 |
6 | Treaty United | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 44 |
7 | Bray | 36 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 44 |
8 | Longford | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 40 |
9 | Harps | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 37 |
10 | Kerry | 36 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 10 |
P | Team | Pd | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shamrock R | 36 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 72 |
2 | Derry | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 65 |
3 | St Patrick's Athl. | 36 | 19 | 5 | 12 | 62 |
4 | Shels | 36 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 60 |
5 | Dundalk | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 58 |
6 | Bohs | 36 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 58 |
7 | Drogheda | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 41 |
8 | Sligo | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 37 |
9 | Cork | 36 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 31 |
10 | UCD | 36 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 11 |
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