Bohemians 0 UCD 0:They may be unbeaten at home, and looking a good deal tighter at the back than has been the case in recent seasons, but Bohemians' problems at the other end of the park cost them once again last night at Dalymount Park. Another couple of points were dropped against the sort of side Sean Connor had conceded before the game they should be beating - if they are to achieve something substantial over the course of this season.

UCD, who arrived having taken 10 points from their last four league games, were always likely to test a Bohemians side that is still trying to settle itself. But the home side's collective lack of adventure, combined with a string of below par individual performances, were still major disappointments to the home support whose frustration was all too clear at the end of a terribly disappointing game.

Physically, at least, the visitors should have come under a good deal of pressure here against a team of what were generally slightly older, full-time professionals but there was little sign of it during a lacklustre first half in which neither side managed to impose themselves on the game.

Bohemians created the better of the game's few chances early on but they were helped by the visitors' habit of giving the ball away in midfield or, as when Chris Kingberry sought to send Glen Crowe clear with a low ball from the left, by a defender's failure to intervene properly.

On that occasion, Alan McNally was the culprit and the mistake, not for the first or last time of the night, prompted Pete Mahon to hurl his water bottle furiously into the turf.

Back at his old club, though, Matt Gregg enjoyed a good night in the UCD goal and having already saved a low drive from Neale Fenn, he was quick off his line to smother Crowe's effort just inside the area.

For all their success in frustrating the home side, though, UCD rarely threatened to make any sort of breakthrough themselves. A candidate for the league's player of the month in April, Conor Sammon started May in rather subdued fashion, running tirelessly to lose markers and get himself into space but struggling, nevertheless, to make much of the few half chances that came his way.

For Bohemians, opportunities were both a little more numerous and a little more clear-cut but Mahon's back four did well to block down a handful of midrange shots and the home side never really employed the sort of width that has served them well against other opponents.

Having contained Bohemians for most of the game, UCD sensed late on that they might be able to take more than just a point away with them. On came Tony McDonnell to anchor things in midfield while allowing Shane McFaul to push forward.

Sure enough, their best chances to grab the win came in the minutes that followed. McFaul engineered the first with a cross from the left and Alan Mahon the second with one from a similar position after a quick, short corner. But on both occasion Ronan Finn failed to get his far-post header on target.

But the home side proved no more adept at conjuring up a goal late on. A solitary headed effort by Jason McGuinness that was easily dealt with by Gregg was the best Bohemians could manage and that, it was clear at the final whistle, wasn't nearly enough to satisfy their fans.

BOHEMIANS: Murphy; O Heary, McGuinness, Burns, Powell; Kelly (Hunt 56 mins), Rice, T Heary, Kingsberry; Fenn; Crowe.

UCD: Gregg; Mahon, McNally, Kenna, Bermingham; C Byrne (McDonnell, 71 mins), McFaul, Crowley, Doyle (Oprea, 91 mins); Sammon, Purcell (Finn, 60 mins).

Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).