UCD - 0 St Patricks Ath - 0 UCD claimed their first point of the season when they repelled the advances of an off-form St Patrick's Athletic at Belfield Park last night.
In truth, the game was a poor spectacle but from a UCD point of view it was a point gained while for St Patrick's it was a disappointing fifth draw from eight outings this season.
Due to their injury crisis the Students' coach, Paul Doolin, came out of retirement to name himself among his substitutes yet his young charges never required his presence as they coped well with the visitors.
After an innocuous opening 20 minutes both sides went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock. First UCD goalkeeper Pat Jennings failed to hold a Keith Fahey effort only for Patrick Sullivan to save the goalkeeper's blushes with a timely clearance.
At the other end, Mick O'Donnell's first-time shot was cleared off the line by Colm Foley after another goalkeeping error, this time from the St Pat's goalkeeper, Chris Adamson, presented the opportunity.
But as the rain began to team down the Inchicore men took control of affairs with Paul Osam pulling the strings in midfield and Fahey almost grabbing the goal of the season with a speculative 40-yard effort that just missed the target.
In the second half the game began to look increasingly as if a stalemate would be the likely outcome with St Pat's enjoying the majority of possession without creating any chances of note until the final 10 minutes, by which stage UCD had battened down the hatches as they clung on for their point.
Fahey looked the most likely to break the deadlock but after a powerful run his drive was well blocked by Alan McNally.
In the final period of pressure, deep in UCD territory, replacement David Freeman managed to send Jimmy Lee Jones through on goal for the chance of the night but his tame effort was nervously dealt by Jennings.
The last chance for St Pat's came from a goalmouth scramble when Foley shot well over the bar albeit from a difficult angle. Then with the game in injury-time UCD'S Gavin Whelan nearly stole in with a shock winner for the league's bottom club but his header was just off target.
UCD: P Jennings; P Sullivan, H Davey, R McAuley, T McDonnell, J Martin, A McNally, M O'Donnell, R Martin, R Griffin, A Cawley. Sub: G Whelan for Martin 70 mins.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: C Adamson; B Prenderville, L El Khaeir, D McGuire, C Foley, K Fahy, P Osam, P Donnelly, J Jones, T Bird, C Livingstone. Subs: A Murphy for Donnelly 58 mins; D Freeman for Livingstone 68 mins.
Referee: John Dermott (Dublin).
