Manager Pete Mahon masterminded the priceless victory with second-half substitute Robbie Griffin heading home the Students’ second goal on 78 minutes.
They took the lead through midfielder Gavin Whelan in the eighteenth minute, his second time finding the net in five games. An unchanged UCD side from that which drew 0-0 with Shelbourne at Tolka Park earlier in the week, started brightly and when Robert McAuley swung in a well-timed cross, Whelan deservedly headed a looping ball past Gary Rogers for the lead.
But just six minutes later a Gary Cronin corner, cleared by UCD midfielder Tony McDonnell, fell to Mark Quinless in space and he drilled home his shot from twenty yards for the equaliser. Drogheda could have gone in front after two minutes through Declan O’Brien from an Andy Myler pass, but Mick O’Donnell cleared the danger for UCD.
But the home side’s second win over Drogheda, in former manager Paul Doolin’s first visit back to the Dublin 4 venue, this season was completed after UCD pressed in the second-half. Midfielder Pat Sullivan hung up a long cross to the far post as the game seemed to be heading for a stalemate, but Griffin was on hand to head past Rogers for his fourth goal of the season, and probably the most important of his career.
With Derry losing in Cork, UCD travel to St Pat’s and face Longford in Belfield in their final two games of the season.