UCD give Shamrock Rovers a lesson

UCD 2 Shamrock Rovers 0

Second-half goals from defender Hugh Douglas and winger Seán Russell gave UCD their first win of the season in dramatic fashion at a tense Belfield Bowl last night.

Shamrock Rovers, still back in seventh place in the table, wasted a plethora of chances with all the pressure on the College goal. But a failure to convert to chances proved costly for Trevor Croly’s team.

UCD took the lead, though, on 76 minutes when Douglas got forward to head in Russell’s free-kick, conceded by James Chambers.

Croly’s men steamed forward in injury-time searching for an equalisier. But it worked against them as goalkeeper Barry Murphy was caught out, with Russell scoring.

The away supporters vented their fury at the final whistle and Croly knows he needs to address his team's finishing if they are to reignite their title bid. For UCD, three valuable points gives them hope of escaping relegation.
UCD : McGinley (Barron h-t); Douglas, Boyle, O'Connor, Langtry; Walsh; Burke (Clarke 56), Creevy (Kavanagh 69), Russell; Benson; McMillan.
SHAMROCK ROVERS : Murphy; Rice, Elebert, Foran (McCormack h-t), Ledwith; McCabe, Chambers, Finn, Dennehy; Robinson (Kilduff 78); Sheppard.
Attendance : 993.
Referee : R Rogers (Dublin).