THIS IS becoming repetitive. A fourth successive win without conceding a goal, a third in a row by 1-0 if UCD continue to win when not playing particularly well (supposedly the hallmark of all league winning sides) then, who knows, the 66 to 1 pre season outsiders could yet cause the biggest sensation since the foundation of the state and with it the league.

All the students seem to need is one chance per game in truth they are not creating much more than that. But with a rock like defence, now the best in the league, they don't need any more than that. Dundalk perished where others have before, running into the seemingly impenetrable Terry Palmer Tony McDonnell wall UCD are not, currently, the second best team in the country by fluke and it's time for some overdue recognition here.

Dundalk had oodles of possession, especially after the break, and manoeuvred the ball around nicely but too much of it culminated in hopeful balls to the front pair of Stephen Douglas and Joe Gallen. Palmer and McDonnell stuck to their men like glue, never lost concentration, and whether on the ground or in the air, were masterful. Apparently Gallen subsequently described them as the best central defensive pairing he'd come up against this season.

Indeed, defensively, every UCD player contributed to this latest, unstintingly disciplined effort. Like the performances, even Theo Dunne's upbeat post match utterances are becoming repetitive. "As I said last week and the week before," (and the week before and the week before..) "this is the type of game we would have lost last week."

It's particularly applicable with regard to Dundalk, one of UCD's bete noires, whom they hadn't beaten since 1984 - ironically the only time UCD previously occupied second place, before ultimately finishing a club record fourth.

Nonetheless it was hard not to feel sympathy for Dundalk, who undoubtedly have and will, play worse and win. "That's the best we've played this season," observed a frustrated if none too surprised John Hewitt. "If UCD can keep defending like that, they'll be up there."

However, as he also suggested UCD lack a bit of a cutting edge at the moment. In truth, while they all defended well, UCD cannot go on winning on so little of their own making. Thin on resources UCD were compelled to play a hampered Jason Colwell in midfield (who eventually gave way) and an unwell Robbie Griffin up front and it showed.

The supply lines to the front, where Griffin and Jason Sherlock made little stick, were poor in any case, and the support from midfield was negligible. Stephen Napier and Mick Doohan were no less solid, under comparatively less strain, at the other end. Untypically therefore. UCD's main threat came from set pieces, Darren O'Brien heading over from close range after Les Fridge was unable to clear a corner.

Nearing the break, UCD finally began to put together some of their passing game, nearly putting Darran O'Brien and Sherlock through in turn before Michael O'Donnell induced a rash challenge, and both a booking and a free, out of Tom McNulty with a clever turn near the touchline.

Griffin was first to Declan Fitzgerald's slanting delivery, and Fridge's weak punch fell as far as O'Donnell on the edge of the area, who marked his fourth full appearance with a clever looping header beyond the last defender and into an unguarded net.

Such is UCD's current resilience, you sensed that might be that. Sure enough, Dundalk owned the ball after the break, composed in possession and refocusing the point of attack with ease. But they rarely penetrated; Gallen's glancing 54th minute header from David Crawley's cross drifted just wide, as did Douglas's header from a Ray Campbell centre, before Byrne teed up McConville for a crisp 67th minute drive which Seamus Kelly stretched to turn away one handed.

By the final 10 minutes, Dundalk, like a boxer behind on points from an early knock down, had punched themselves out and perhaps deep down sensed it.