Sligo Rovers' defender Steve Birks went through the agony of putting through his own goal three minutes into added time to deprive his side of a deserved win at Belfield yesterday. Birks, in attempting to clear, could only get a glancing touch with his head to help Tony McDonnell's header, from Robert McAuley's long throw, past goalkeeper Nicky Broujos.

It completed a cruel twist for Birks who just four minutes earlier might have sewn up the three points for Sligo, but instead could only watch as his 40 yard lob come back off the top of Seamus Kelly's right hand post.

Minutes before that at the other end, Broujos had performed heroics with two terrific saves inside a minute, both from UCD's liveliest player on the day, Ciaran Kavanagh, as the students chased the game following Padraig Moran's superb lead goal for Sligo in the 62nd minute.

Both sides exchanged chances in the firt half in which both Ogden and Lee Thew of Sligo were booked for late challenges.

Ogden then came closest to breaking the deadlock when he clipped a 20 yards free-kick off the crossbar in the 21st minute.

Sligo soaked up much of the pressure and then almost caught UCD out on the break just before the interval when Broujos' kickout ran right through for Moran, but his hurried lob over Kelly bounced several feet wide.

Sligo got their reward with a stunning goal on 62 minutes when Moran volleyed home from the edge of the box following a cross from player-manager Nicky Reid.