Derry City 0 UCD 1:FAI Cup holders Derry City sensationally crashed out of this year's competition when shocked by a decimated UCD at the Brandywell last night.

Pete Mahon's hopes of causing the first shock in this year's event was realised when his bustling lone frontman, Conor Sammon, scored the vital winner on the hour.

Minus no fewer than seven first-choice players, Mahon strung five players across the centre of the park, happy to hit on the break, and that tactic served his side particularly well.

The home side opened in determined mood and should have broken the deadlock in the first five minutes.

Eddie McCallion worked his way past UCD's Pat McWalter and his low cross presented Kevin McHugh with a glorious chance but the striker failed to hit the target with a deft touch.

While the students found themselves on the defensive, Mahon's men could so easily have opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Conor Kenna's low shot was parried by Pat Jennings before the ball was whipped clear.

UCD forced Jennings to be alert on the half hour while Derry's Paddy McCourt sent a similar shot directly at Darren Quigley who had no difficulty in gathering eight minutes later.

One minute before the break, Ciaran Martyn played McHugh in but the ball seemed to get tangled between his legs and the opportunity was lost.

And seconds before half-time a Ruaidhri Higgins cross was met by Paddy McCourt who headed the ball over the crossbar from close range.

Following the change of ends, the home side continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession as Martyn flashed a shot over the crossbar and Mark Farren's attempted cross was too close to the UCD goalkeeper.

The best scoring chance of the match up until that point fell to Derry in the 58th minute. A superb pass from well inside his half by Higgins sent Farren scampering clear, but the striker recklessly flashed the ball wide of the target in the one-on-one situation with Quigley.

Ironically, UCD moved the ball up the park two minutes later and when Conan Byrne left Killian Brennan in his wake, the winger's low cross into the danger was nudged home by Sammon from point blank range.

The goal came against the run of play but, that said, Derry had failed to force Quigley into a serious save and UCD's ploy of hitting on the break had reaped a handsome reward.

Shots from McCourt and McHugh were comfortably dealt with by Quigley as the home side continued to surge forward, but it was the visitors who remained disciplined and in control of the vital midfield area.

With six minutes remaining a curling Brennan free-kick shaved the UCD upright and it was clear this was not to be Derry's night.

DERRY CITY: Jennings; McCallion, Oman (Hargan, 78 mins), Hutton, Brennan; Higgins (Deery, 68 mins), Molloy, Martyn, McCourt (McGlynn, 80 mins); Farren, McHugh.

UCD: Quigley; Mahon, McMillan (Gallagher, h-t), Shortall, Kenna; Byrne (Purcell, 85 mins), King, McFaul, Finn (Bolger, 92 mins), McWalter; Sammon.

Referee: Damien Hancock (Dublin).