Shelbourne 3
UCD 2
Paul Buttner reports from Tolka Park
JACK MOYLAN SCORED a dramatic late winner to complete his second hat-trick of the season to keep Shelbourne’s quest for Europe very much alive.
The win moves Shelbourne two points above Bohemians into fourth place with one match to play.
But Damien Duff’s side were far from their best as they laboured to victory over relegated UCD at Tolka Park.
Though Shelbourne enjoyed plenty of the possession, it took a route one attack to deliver the lead on 20 minutes.
Paddy Barrett’s ball over the top was controlled by Moylan before he was tugged back by Eanna Clancy to win a penalty which he duly converted.
The sides then swapped big chances just past the half hour.
Mark Coyle first cleared an Adam Wells shot just in front of the Shels goal before Moylan brought a parry save from Moore at the other end.
The UCD keeper quickly saw further action, batting away Coyle’s shot from distance before Will Jarvis brought a somewhat subdued crowd to voice in first half stoppage time with a marauding run and shot that arrowed inches over Moore’s crossbar.
The home crowd were then silenced within four minutes of the restart when UCD punished a goalkeeping mistake to equalise.
Harry Fisk, on his debut for Conor Kearns who was ill during the week, miscued a Jarvis back pass that bobbled on the uneven pitch as he tried to find Barrett.
The ball ran straight to Mikey Raggett who rolled it to the unguarded net.
A below par Shelbourne needed inspiration from somewhere and Jarvis provided it as they regained the lead on 62 minutes when the Hull loanee’s run was halted by Adam Verdon to concede a second spot kick.
Moylan once more obliged with another empathic penalty.
UCD refused to lie down and levelled with an audacious goal on 81 minutes.
Ciaran Behan’s cross was met by fellow substitute Danu Kinsella-Bishop whose clever flick beat Fisk.
But Moylan would win it with the goal of the night on 89 minutes.
Controlling Barrett’s long ball with a good first touch, he got it onto his right foot to curl his shot to the corner of the net for his 13th goal of the season.
Shelbourne: Fisk; Cabral (Caffrey, 63), Molloy, Barrett, Griffin (T. Wilson, 63); Lunney, Coyle; Farrell, Wood (Arubi, 88), Jarvis (Ledwidge, 76); Moylan.
UCD: Moore; Osam (Babb, 90+2), Clancy (O’Brien, h-t), Keaney, Dempsey; Verdon, Wells; Norris (Behan, 63), Brennan (Doyle, 74), Keane; Raggett (Kinsella-Bishop, 74).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).