UCD maintained the upper hand over their city rivals DCU, squeezing through by a point in an entertaining encounter at Belfield yesterday.

The visitors, hoping to avenge last year's defeat, started brightly and despite failing to make it show on the scoreboard signalled they were going to make UCD fight all the way.

The hosts opened the scoring through Joe Fallon after four minutes and in an evenly matched first half Colin Moran (two) and UCD's midfield duo of David Hannify and Nigel Crawford tagged on points with Fergus McMahon and Trevor McDonnell replying for DCU to leave the hosts leading 0-5 to 04 at the midway stage.

UCD took a stranglehold on proceedings after the break with Ciaran McManus beginning to have a bigger influence. But despite two more points from Moran, DCU replied with a 42nd-minute penalty from Fergal Mone after he was hauled down bearing in on goal.

UCD introduced Alan Lynch and Brian McDonnell in the closing stages - to good effect as both registered scores that booked the Belfield team a quarter-final date with Sligo IT.

UCD: G McGill; B O hAnnaidh, M Breathnach, N Maguire; D O hAnnaidh, P Navin, R Kelly; N Crawford (0-2), D Hannify (0-1); C Moran (0- 4), C McManus, D Hanly; J Fallon (0-1), S Lucey (0-1), JP Casey. Subs: M Wright for B O hAnnaidh (23 mins), A Lynch (0-1) for D Hanly (42 mins), B McDonald (0-1) for Fallon (50 mins), J Hanly for Crawford (53 mins), D Breen for D O hAnnaidh (59 mins).

DCU: R Ferry; S Carroll, I Robertson, B McCormack; P Casey, C Browne, S Ryan; J Golden (0-1), T O hAilpin; K Malone, B Sheehan (0-1), B Shorthall; F Mone (1-0, a penalty), F McMahon (0-2, one free), T O'Donnell (0-3, all frees). Sub: T Kelliher for Shorthall (51 mins).

Referee: S McCormack (Meath).