SHAMROCK ROVERS maintained top spot in the Airtricity League Premier Division as they strolled to a facile 5-1 victory over ten-man UCD at a sodden Belfield Bowl.

There were few incidents of note in an uneventful opening half-hour in which both teams struggled to show any of their passing cohesion but the game finally sprang to life in the 31^st minute when UCD’s Sean Harding cut inside Billy Dennehy to unleash a rising drive which just cleared Alan Mannus’ crossbar.

Within two minutes, Rovers had seized the initiative when Twigg showed his renowned predatory instincts to flick to the net after Ger Barorw had shown spurn reflexes to deny Craig Sives from Billy Dennehy’s corner.

Having taken their time to take the lead, Rovers almost handed their opponents an immediate way back into the game but Sives managed to divert Dean Marshall’s dangerous off his own post and away to safety.

The free-flowing nature of the contest was in stark contrast to the initial cagey offerings and Rovers soon doubled their advantage on 41 minutes when Twigg was in the optimum position to casually flick Ronan Finn’s delightful cross to the net from eight yards.

Matters deteriorated for the hosts within two minutes when Dennehy was hauled down by UCD’s captain Michael Leahy with the red card brandished by Graham Kelly an inevitable consequence, with McCabe’s injury time corner which flicked off Barron’s crossbar bringing the eventful half to a close.

The second-half was a procession towards the hosts’ goal and Karl Sheppard added a third from Gary McCabe’s excellent delivery in the 51^st minute.

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 77^th minute when Dennehy gained tangible reward for his persevering display as his shot from sixteen yards took a deflection off Harding to wrong-foot an unlucky Barron.

The game ended amid a glut of goals with ex-UCD player Ciaran Kilduff poaching two goals upon his introduction while UCD’s Darren Meenan curled a sublime goal in the 88^th minute to offer the students 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)