Peter Hanrahan put a three month struggle against injury behind him to score twice to see UCD through to the third round of the FAI Cup against bottom of the First Division Monaghan United.
Not enjoying a fruitful time in front of goal in an injury-plagued league season, Hanrahan, a losing cup finalist with Dundalk in 1993, has saved his poaching touch for the cup competitions to add this brace to a hat-trick he scored against St. Francis in the League Cup in September.
"I was just glad to start a game for the first time in three months," said the 31-year-old Hanrahan. "Martin Moran said go out and try to get a goal or two and thankfully I did. The two crosses from Brian Mooney were brilliant." Monaghan's tactics of employing just Andy Myler up front and crowding the midfield contributed largely to a dreadful spectacle of a match on a surface scarcely conducive to good football.
On the occasions they got forward, Monaghan were lively with 18-year-old Paul Smyth clever and inventive up the left, and ex-UCD striker Myler making an occasional nuisance of himself. Otherwise Monaghan offered little as UCD gradually took control. Mick O'Byrne forced the first save from John Grace while Brian Mooney and Hanrahan also got their heads to crosses though to little effect in a very scrappy opening.
Fittingly, and thankfully, the first real piece of football rewarded us with the opening goal on 43 minutes.
Ciaran Kavanagh's intelligent ball in behind the home defence sent Mooney away and his cross picked out Hanrahan whose looping header entered the net beyond the reach of Grace.
The second goal, six minutes into the second-half, was something similar. This time Mooney uncharacteristically won a tackle with Mick Scully to get free up the right to cross; Hanrahan arriving at the back post to power the ball past Grace with an unstoppable diving header.
John Martin and O'Byrne then sealed this comfortable win for the students with further goals inside the final 12 minutes.
Martin shot home with the aid of a deflection having collected Kavanagh's cross while O'Byrne punished a bad clearance by Grace to shoot the ball back into the bottom corner of the net.
MONAGHAN UNITED: Grace; Hall, Gleeson, Scully, Keenan; Fox, Browne, O'Callaghan, Notaro, Smyth; Myler. Subs: Wilson for Keenan (injured, 10 mins), Howlett for Browne (64 mins), McCarville for Gleeson (86 mins).
UCD: Ryan; McLoughlin, Delaney, Lynch, Mahon; Mooney, Kavanagh, Martyn, Martin; Hanrahan, O'Byrne. Subs: Noonan, Dunne and McAuley for Kavanagh, Lynch and McLoughlin (all 86 mins.).
Referee: A McAree (Donegal).
