UCD 1 Shamrock Rovers 6:SHAMROCK ROVERS maintained their grip at the top of the Airtricity League Premier Division when they comfortably accounted for 10-man UCD at the Belfield Bowl last night.

After an uneventful opening half hour, where both teams struggled to adapt to the inclement conditions, Seán Harding brought the game to life in the 31st minute with a rising drive which was inches over the scrambling Alan Manus’s crossbar. Within two minutes, the visitors took the lead when Gary Twigg showed superb poaching skills to flick home after Ger Barron had superbly clawed out Craig Sives’ powerful header from a Billy Dennehy corner.

Sives was in action at the opposite end almost immediately when he deflected Dean Marshall’s cross off the outside of his own post and away for a fruitless corner. However, that escape galvanised the league leaders and they doubled their lead in the 41st minute when Ronan Finn escaped down the right and his cross was flicked to the net by the inrushing Twigg.

UCD suffered a further setback two minutes prior to the interval when Billy Dennehy latched onto a misplaced pass with Michael Leahy’s desperate lunge bringing a red card for the home captain.

The second half was just six minutes old when Rovers added a third as Gary McCabe found acres of space on the right and his measured cross was easily headed home by Karl Sheppard from six yards.

That Rovers failed to add to their tally for another 26 minutes was a reflection on their wastefulness in front of goal and an element of fortune on behalf of the hosts as they could have fallen further behind with Twigg, Sheppard and McCabe all going close.

The fourth goal finally arrived in the 77th minute when Dennehy was rewarded for his persevering display as his shot from 16 yards took a deflection off Harding to wrong-foot an unlucky Barron.

Former UCD player Ciarán Kilduff poached two goals upon his introduction while UCD’s Darren Meenan scored in the 88th minute to offer his side a crumb of comfort on an otherwise forgettable evening.

UCD: Barron; Harding, O’Connor, Leahy, Nangle; Marshall (Creevy, 68), O’Conor, Corry, Russell (Rusk, 46); Belhout (Doyle, 68), Meenan.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Sullivan, Sives, Murray, McCormack; McCabe, Turner (O’Donnell, 46), Finn (Rice, 60), Dennehy; Sheppard, Twigg (Kilduff, 70).

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).