A performance that owed more to endeavour than skill moved Shamrock Rovers out of the bottom half of the table for the first time this season as they laboured to a win over UCD at Tolka Park last night.

It looked as if Rovers' first-half possession would count for nought until a stroke of fortune presented them with their first goal five minutes before the break.

Brian Morrisroe collected Derek Tracey's pass and he surged into the box to shoot. The ball took a slight deflection off a defender and it ran for Cousins who slid in to shoot past Barry Ryan from six yards.

It was no more than Rovers deserved. Robert McAuley, with a well struck shot from 25 yards, which Tony O'Dowd ably dealt with, registered UCD's only effort on target in the first-half a minute after they had fallen behind.

Morrisroe had to make a brave block on UCD's half-time substitute, Ciaran Martyn, to prevent an equaliser eight minutes after the restart before Rovers regained the upper hand.

Another Kenny free-kick on 78 minutes wasn't properly cleared by Eamonn McLoughlin and Mor isroe punished the error when drilling the ball under Ryan from 10 yards out.

Shamrock Rovers: O'Dowd; Britton, Brazil, Whelan, Tracey; O'Neill, Kenny, Colwell, Morrisroe; Sherlock, Cousins. Subs: Markey for Cousins (73 mins), Woods for Morrisroe (84), O'Meara for Kenny (87).

UCD: Ryan; Brett, Mahon, Delaney; McLoughlin, Kavanagh, Lynch, Dunne, McAuley; O'Byrne, Bennis. Subs: Martyn for Dunne (half-time), Fitzpatrick and Kilmurray for Bennis and O'Byrne (both 84 mins). Referee: T Tully (Cork).