eircom League: UCD 0 Derry City 2

Derry and Cork stay level on 66 points although the Leesiders have a superior goal difference of +31 to Derry's + 28. Both teams have just three matches left to play.

UCD, now with just one win in their last nine league games, stay in the relegation zone with just three matches to play - two points ahead of third from bottom Waterford United.

Knowing that fellow title contenders Cork City had recorded a vital 2-1 victory over Bohemians at Dalymount Park earlier in the day, Derry started in a determined fashion and were deservedly a goal in front after 13 minutes.

Mark Farren cut in from the left and supplied a superb ball to fellow striker O'Flynn. He then cleverly cut past defenders Alan Mahon and Tony McDonnell before firing home from eight yards past 'keeper Darren Quigley.

O'Flynn almost had a second goal two minutes later when he latched onto a pass from Gareth McGlynn on the right only to shoot just over the top from 25 yards.

Against the run of play College went close to an equaliser on 25 minutes when scrappy defensive play by Peter Hutton and Clive Delaney almost let in Brian Gannon only for Derry 'keeper David Forde to grab the winger's stab shot effort in a crowded goalmouth.

Former Shamrock Rovers man Paddy McCourt was introduced as a substitute for winger Killian Brennan on 36 minutes - the latter having suffered an ankle injury earlier in the game.

The Students should really have been level just before the interval when a long ball from Mahon was missed by the normally so reliable Peter Hutton. Striker Pat Walter, with only Forde to beat, shot against the crossbar from 12 yards.

From the rebound UCD midfielder Mick O'Donnell was fouled just outside the box. But the resulting free by Stephen Hurley was wasted when he fired over the bar from 20 yards.

The paltry attendance of just 500 - most of them from Derry - had little to enthuse about in the second half with the visitors often happy to play a containment game and UCD unable to mount any serious attacking ploys.

In fact it was Derry who almost stretched their lead on 67 minutes when a McCourt free from 22 yards was deflected narrowly wide of the target after College skipper McDonnell had fouled Farren just outside the box.

Farren should then have wrapped up victory for Derry when totally unmarked he headed inches wide after substitute Molloy found the unmarked Gareth McGlynn on the right. But his inch perfect cross was squandered by the diving Farren.

Even the introduction of substitutes Willie Doyle, Ciaran Harte and Conor Sammon at various stages in the second half could not spark UCD to life. And it was only the excellence of Darren Quigley that twice denied the always dangerous McCourt in the dying minutes when the 'keeper finger-tipped his efforts over the bar.

Molloy at last made the three points safe for Derry in added time when he shot home from ten yards after good work - inevitably by McCourt. Although Quigley did get his fingers to the effort, he could not prevent the ball entering the net.

UCD - Quigley; Mahon, McDonnell, Shorthall, Kenna; Gannon (Sammon 84), Dicker, Hurley (Harte 53), O'Donnell; Dupuy (Doyle 45), McWalter.

Derry City - Forde; McCalliog, Delaney, Hutton, Hargan; McGlynn, Martyn, Deery (Molloy 45), Brennan (McCourt 36); Farren (Murphy 90), O'Flynn.