It's been another of those weekends for UCD. More last-minute goal action, another good result for Finn Harps and further cause for the club's manager, Martin Moran, to wonder "just why it is I do this".
Finn Harps' 4-1 win at St Patrick's Athletic on Friday was a real blow for Moran's side but things looked up in Cork on Sunday when they - rather than their opponents - got a result at the very death.
Cork, as it happened, had gone 2-1 ahead in the 90th minute and it was at this point that Moran wondered why he bothered. But unusually for the students this season, they grabbed a result in injury time. The way things are at the foot of the table, the point may yet prove crucial.
The team has generally suffered in the last minute. A goal up against St Patrick's with a matter of seconds on the clock at the start of February, they somehow lost 2-1; nine days later they lost to Bohemians with the game a minute and a half from stoppage time and they then went to Waterford in the FAI Cup and lost 9-8 on penalties.
Last week things got even worse. Level with Shelbourne with minutes to go, Derek Swan had what seemed a perfectly good headed goal disallowed for an alleged foul on a defender. Moments later UCD conceded a penalty and Stephen Geoghegan stuck the spot kick away.
He insists he's not one to moan but that record, added to the fact that Aidan Lynch, Tony McDonnell, Kevin Grogan, Brian Mooney and Peter Hanrahan have all missed sizeable chunks of the season, has left Moran feeling the club's luck has deserted it.
"Good teams don't lose after leading 1-0 in the final minute," he concedes, but better teams might have struggled with UCD's misfortune in recent months.
Chief among their problems on the pitch is their inability to score goals on a regular basis. Mick O'Byrne, who had been relied on to contribute a fairly steady supply of them for the past few seasons, left midway through the campaign to join Kilkenny City and Swan, though he has contributed much to the team in recent months, has generally looked too isolated to really chip in. Sunday's two goals at Turner's Cross, though, have persuaded Moran that, with three games remaining, UCD can still escape from trouble.
Their run in is certainly easier than that of their rivals. UCD are scheduled to play Derry City, Shamrock Rovers and Galway United, none of whom are likely to be overly motivated, while Harps must face Bray Wanderers, Bohemians and Longford Town, at least two of whom will be desperate to win.
"I'd agree that ours (fixtures) look the softer," says Moran, "but then you just have to look at Richmond Park on Friday night to see how hard it is to call these things."
However, he insists that should his players survive the drop, they will be better for the experience. "I know I'll certainly be a better manager."
emalone@irish-times.ie
