SHAMROCK ROVERS produced a late burst to see off a plucky UCD at Tallaght Stadium.

 

 

Second half goals by Karl Sheppard, Ronan Finn and Billy Dennehy gave the champions the three points but Robbie Benson gave the Students something to cheer about with a cracking strike.

 

Paddy Kavanagh was unfortunate not to put the Hoops ahead in the ninth minute when he burst through the UCD defence only to be denied by the advancing Ger Barron.

 

The Students had their first attack of note in the 13th minute when Darren Meenan fired in a long range shot but keeper Alan Mannus held firm.

 

UCD’s other winger Dean Marshall created an opportunity for himself in the 25th minute when he cut in from the right but his low strike was saved by Mannus.

 

The home defence was almost punished in the 31st minute when David O'Connor lost his man from a Marshall corner but his close range header hit a defender when a goal seemed a real possibility.

 

It was from a left wing cross that Rovers looked like they had broken the deadlock in the 39th minute. Enda Stevens fired in the cross, Enda Sheppard got a flick header to the ball and it hit the outside of Barron’s far post.

 

The Hoops did not start the second half with any greater fluency in their play and were lucky not fall behind in the 50th minute when Marshall pulled his shot inches wide after being set up by Daniel Ledwidth.

 

Buoyed by that opportunity, the visitors burst forward again two minutes later and Robbie Creevy skipped through the home defence before he too saw his angled strike slide narrowly wide across goal.

 

Rovers made a couple of key changes with Stephen Rice and ex-UCD striker Ciaran Kilduff coming on in the 53rd minute.

 

The Hoops finally made the breakthrough in the 69th minute when Karl Sheppard found the net with a close range volley after Stevens made a brilliant overlap and cross on the left.

 

Rovers went 2-0 up in the 72nd minute when former Students midfielder Ronan Finn broke through and slotted past Barron following good approach play by Gary O’Neill.

 

O’Neill had a shot narrowly wide in the 80th minute and 60 seconds later the home fans got a little nervous when Robbie Benson fired UCD back in the game with a stunning strike from the edge of the box.

 

The nerves were not frayed for long as Rovers went 3-1 up in the 82nd minute when Billy Dennehy’s low strike beat Barron and a defender failed to prevent the ball crashing into the net.

 

 

Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Sullivan, Murray, Oman, Stevens, McCormack (Rice 53), P Kavanagh (Kilduff 53), Finn (Corcoran 85), Dennehy, Sheppard, O’Neill.

 

UCD: Barron; P O’Connor, Nangle, D O’Connor, Leahy, Corry (J Kavanagh 83), Marshall (Benson 72), Creevy, Rusk, Ledwidth (Belhout 73), Meenan.

 

Referee: N Doyle (Dublin).