UCD 0
DROGHEDA UNITED 2
Ronan McNamara at UCD Bowl
A DOMINANT SECOND-HALF display gave Drogheda United a comfortable 2-0 win over UCD at the Bowl.
A controversial Chris Lyons penalty gave Drogs the lead before former UCD defender Evan Weir doubled their advantage with a minute of normal time remaining.
Drogheda are now eight points clear of their hosts as the wait for a first Premier Division win continues for Andy Myler’s side.
Referee Adriano Reale became the centre of attention when he surprisingly awarded Drogheda a spot-kick on the hour mark, when Evan Osam headed Rooney’s corner away the ball skipped off the turf and Sean Brennan was adjudged to have handled the ball just inside the area.
Lyons made no mistake and rifled the ball down the middle as a cloud of celebratory smoke engulfed the UCD Bowl.
UCD will be disappointed with their second-half showing having had the better of the chances in the opening half. Evan Caffrey will feel he should have done better after a heavy touch allowed Drogheda goalkeeper Sam Long to come out and smother him before Lorcan Healy tipped a curling Dayle Rooney effort wide.
Dylan Duffy was the bright spark for the Students and he had a goalbound shot bravely blocked by the face of James Clarke before he stung the palms of Long with a free-kick from distance before the interval.
Kevin Doherty’s side began to flex their attacking muscles, first Rooney saw a clever backheel roll the wrong side of the post before he pulled the ball back for Lyons who swiveled and turned in the box but Healy was equal to it.
Ryan Brennan was summoned from the substitutes bench at halftime in a bid to lift the visitors and he almost made an instant impact. A stunning half volley from 25 yards brought a save of equal quality from Healy before Rooney rattled the crossbar from a free-kick.
The College put on a late spurt to cancel out Lyons’s penalty and substitute Lennon Gill pulled an effort wide from inside the area before Long produced a good stop to deny Duffy.
Moments later former student Weir secured the win with a turn and finish from close range.
UCD: Lorcan Healy, Michael Gallagher, Evan Osam, Liam Kerrigan (Nolan 66), Evan Caffrey, Colm Whelan, Dylan Duffy, Alex Dunne (Ryan 34), Donal Higgins (Gill 73), Sean Brennan, Sam Todd.
Drogheda: Sam Long, Sean Roughan, Evan Weir, Andrew Quinn, Gary Deegan, Chris Lyons, Dane Massey, Dayle Rooney, James Clarke (Brennan 45), Darragh Nugent, Georgie Poynton