Waterford United U-20s  2 – 4  UCD U-20s

After last week’s excellent 2-1 away win against Wexford Youths, Waterford United’s Under-20s came back down to earth with a bump on Sunday, turned over by a stronger UCD outfit, who coped better with the horrible conditions.

Playing with the strong wind and driving rain, the Students, who are the defending U-20 champions, dominated the exchanges in the first half after an opening period of parity, and took the lead on 19 minutes, when Stephen Doyle’s free kick from deep on the left was flicked on in the area, falling nicely for Samir Belhout to chest down and drive past Ian Daly from four yards out. Minutes later the lively Belhout almost got in on the end of Tom O’Halloran’s low left wing cross, but, well marshalled by Adam Heaslip, he fired wide on the volley. Daly was called into action after the half hour, clawing away Martin Whelan’s long range effort from his top left corner, and shortly afterwards Belhout got in again, but fired just over when well placed. Towards the end of the half the Blues finally began to make headway, Evan Connolly with a positive forward run and chip forward for early sub Gavin Falconer, but with just too much on the ball. Seconds later another good forward move saw Falconer run at the UCD defence, firing in a fine low shot that had Mark McGinley at full stretch to tip around the left post.

After the break, United might have been looking forward to having the wind at their backs, but it was the visitors who made the better of the conditions to start the brighter, Samir Belhout firing straight at Ian Daly from close range a minute in, before doubling his side’s advantage four minutes later, blasting past Daly at the near post when slipped in on the left side of the area. The home side dug in though, and as the half wore on they began to get on top in the match, deservingly pulling one back on 65 minutes, when Andrew Power found James Starmer on the left, and the substitute deftly nutmegged full back Jack Rogers, and raced in to finish well past Mark McGinley from 10 yards. Unfortunately the lead was restored within four minutes, a superb David O’Connor header from a right wing Stephen Doyle free kick arrowed just inside the far post, giving Daly no chance.

The home side kept looking for a way back into the game, with Reece Rooney forcing a smart save from McGinley with a long range header, but the impressive Belhout notched his hat-trick on 78 minutes, slipping in between the centre backs to plant a pin-point header into the bottom corner from Tom O’Halloran’s left wing cross. At the other end, as the Blues kept probing, good work in the left of the area by Power was not rewarded when his shot was charged down by Rogers, but the Blues did get a second for their hard work, another superb goal on the break. A corner for the Students was met with another Belhout header, but Aidan McGrath was on hand to clear from the far post, and, as play quickly switched to the other end, Gavin Falconer streaked clear on the right before applying a cool low finish into the far corner. So, a tough initiation for the young Blues side into what is required at this level, but not a bad start against two of the stronger sides in the competition, and who will have been playing together for an awful lot longer. Next up is FC Carlow at the RSC again next Sunday.

Waterford: Ian Daly; Darren O’Loughlin, Adam Heaslip, Evan Connolly, Seamus Byrne; Aidan McGrath, Andrew Power, Tommy Croke, Paul Horan (James Starmer 51), Zach Shanahan (Reece Rooney 70); Darren White (Gavin Falconer 35) - subs: Craig Nugent, Sam Shanahan

Goals: Starmer 65, Falconer 86

Booked: Heaslip

UCD: Mark McGinley, Jack Rogers, David O’Connor, Daniel McNamara, Gareth Matthews, Barry McCabe, Michael Whelan, Danny Fallon (Dara Verney 81), Samir Belhout, Stephen Doyle (Luke Fitzgibbon 82), Tom O’Halloran – subs: Daniel Corbett, John Kelly

Goals: Belhout 19, 50, 78, O’Connor 69