'We've the play-off coming up now and we're certainly not safe yet'

William O’Connor put one over on his former club Finn Harps as UCD managed to secure a place in the promotion-relegation play-off in the SSE Airtricity League.

The Buncrana native is assistant manager with the Students and on Friday was patrolling the sideline with manager Andy Meyler suspended as UCD’s 3-1 win relegated Harps. It means that with one fixture of the Premier Division season left - Harps are in Drogheda and UCD welcome champions Shamrock Rovers - the issue has been decided. 

UCD will take on whoever comes though the First Division play-off between Galway United and Waterford on Friday, November 11, for the last spot in the top flight for next season. Sam Todd from Carndonagh, Letterkenny’s Michael Gallagher and Jack Keaney, who is from Donegal town, all played in the UCD back four.

“Andy is serving a suspension but we had the work done during the week before hand so it's not a big difference.” said O’Connor, who teaches in Balbriggan Community College, and was Ollie Horgan’s assistant at Harps from 2014 to 2018

“Some of our players don’t get the credit they deserve. They want to show they are players in this division. Sam and Jack at centre-back are two big players, they are good leaders with great experience. Michael has also built up a good few games and all three were very good there.

“It is always tough here as the defence knows that there will be plenty of headers from set-pieces. All three won everything that came at them. They knew they were in for a battle and we prepared well for that.”

UCD picked up 10 points from their four clashes with Harps this season and also got seven points from their last three outings, having won at Drogheda and drew with Shelbourne prior to their victory in Ballybofey.

“It was a really good performance, as there were in the last two games,” O’Connor said of Finn Park. “We got seven points in a week and it was probably something we didn’t do enough of all season - put a result or two or three in succession.

“It took us a while to get going both as a management team and as players. There’s a big difference in the First Division and the Premier Division and it took a while getting us up to speed. It’s critical to pick up the points against those teams around you and 10 is a good return from Harps. But look, we've the play-off coming up now and we're certainly not safe yet”