SOCCER: Sligo Rovers 4, UCD 0:RAFFAELE CRETARO scored in each half as Sligo Rovers recovered from a forgettable opening 45 minutes at the Showgrounds in front of a crowd of 1,567 on Saturday night.

UCD played all the football in the first half as the home side struggled to get to grips with the game but the students faded after the break as Paul Cook’s side stepped up a gear.

The students were presented with a great chance to open the scoring after just a minute when an attempted back heel by Joseph Ndo went astray allowed Graham Rusk in on goal but he was unable to take advantage.

Rusk went close again for the visitors on 13 minutes but everything changed in a four-minute spell just before half time.

Cretaro drilled an Aaron Greene cross past Gerard Barron in the UCD goal after 42 minutes and when Doyle doubled the Reds’ advantage from an Ndo corner on the stroke of half time the students were left with a mountain to climb.

Doyle and Richie Ryan went close for Rovers at the start of the second half as Martin Russell’s side struggled to get out of their own half. Substitute Daryl Horgan was only three minutes on the field when his corner went in off a post to make the game safe. Cretaro scored his second eight minutes from time with a long range strike.

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke, Dillon (Horgan, 65 mins) Greene, Ndo (Russell, 65 mins), Keane, Ventre, Ryan, Kirby, McGuinness, Cretaro (Devanney, 83 mins), Doyle.

UCD: Barron, Harding, Nangle, D O'Connor, Boyle, Corry, Marshall (Russell, 75 mins), P O'Connor, Rusk, Ledwith (Benson, 75 mins), Meenan Roche (84 mins).

Referee: R Winters (Dublin)