SHAMROCK ROVERS have retained their Airtricity League title after a dramatic injury-time victory over UCD at UCD Bowl.

A dramatic winning goal in the third minute of added time from substitute Dean Kelly enabled Rovers to pick up their record 17th league title and back to back titles.

Thousands of happy Hoops supporters invaded the pitch at the final whistle in celebration as the club again guaranteed themselves a place in next season's Champions League.

Now Friday night's final league game of the season at home to bottom club Galway United at Tallaght Stadium will be a cause for even further rejoicing with Michael O'Neill' side being presented with the league trophy just after the final whistle. 

Rovers  had a chance in the first minute when striker Ciaran Kilduff set up the chance for winger Gary McCabe to get in a shot from 12 yards  pushed onto the post and wide by 'keeper Mark McGinley.

College were confident in midfield and midfielder Paul O'Conor was just wide with a long range effort on 12 minutes. Then left winger Darren Meenan was narrowly off target with a first ime shot from the edge of the box.

The Students continuted to impress when another effort by O'Conor, this time from a free-kick from 40 yards, narrowly over the top.

Striker Karl Sheppard twice went close for Rovers before the interval when first seeing one effort from close range deflected for a corner by Ciaran Nangle  and then had a ball in the net only to have the effort correctly ruled out for offside by Dublin referee Neil Doyle

Disaster hit the Hoops on 46 minutes when Scottish central defender Craig Sives was sent off for a second yellow card offence after a foul on Robbie Benson - it seemed a harsh decision.

McCabe had one free kick just wide and it was the same player who had another free saved by McGinley after Sheppard was fouled by College skipper Mick Leahy.

All that pressure was bound to tell when a McCabe free on the right on 68 minutes was splendidly headed home by substitute central defender Ken Oman to send the Rovers 2,000 travelling support into raptures.

But they were silenced two minutes later when the Students equalised when a Meenan corner on the left was swept home by Benson. College then suffered a major set-back when Meenan was sent off for a second yellow card on 79 minutes.

Rovers threw everything forward in the final minutes when late substitutes Stephen O'Donnell and Dean Kelly combined brilliantly for the latter to slot home from close range for what proved the title winning goal in the third minute of added time.   

UCD: McGinley;  Douglas (Clarke 85), Leahy, D.O’Connor, Nangle ; Marshall (Russell 64), P,O’Conor, Corry, Benson (Boyle 85), Meenan; Rusk.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Brush; Sullivan, Sives, Murray, Stevens; Ricketts (Kelly 80), Finn (O'Donnell 64) , McCormack, McCabe; Kilduff (Oman 48), Sheppard.

REFEREE: N Doyle (Dublin).