Sligo Rovers were beaten at home in the league for the first time in over a year as they lost 1-0 to UCD at The Showgrounds in the eircom League Premier Division.
Conor Sammon’s headed goal on ultimately proved the difference between the teams.
But Rovers will rue a missed penalty from full-back Keith Foy on 56 minutes, when his weakly-struck penalty was saved by Darren Quigley.
The home side, without the suspended Liam Burns, gave a first start to recent signing Brian Cash, while Harpal Singh and Choice Aisien, two other new additions, started on the bench.
UCD were lead out by Tony McDonnell, the newly-appointed chairman of the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFAI).
UCD were the better team in a dour first-half and got the game’s only goal through Sammon on 40 minutes. The striker had a simple header to the net when he was picked out by Paul Crowley’s cross as Rovers were caught napping.
UCD should have doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time as the Rovers woodwork was twice rattled. Pat McWalter’s cross bounced off Gavin Peers and onto the post and Derek Doyle’s follow-up smacked off the crossbar to safety.
Sammon also had the first chance of the half when he turned Michael McNamara on eight minutes, but the Rovers captain recovered brilliantly to block the striker’s shot.
Rovers found their feet ten minutes later when Conor O’Grady’s smart free-kick picked out Adam Hughes’s run, but UCD keeper Darren Quigley was well-positioned to make the save.
Quigley was also called into action to deal with Cash’s snapshot from the right two minutes later.
Darren Mansaram tested Quigley early in the second-half before Rovers manager Sean Connor handed a debut to Nigerian striker Aisien, signed on the transfer deadline.
For the second time in two games a controversial penalty was awarded against UCD when Alan Mahon was adjudged to have fouled Fahrudin Kudozovic, but Foy’s weakly-struck penalty was saved by Quigley.
Connor also introduced Singh and Northern Ireland U21 international Chris Turner to try and rescue the game and they went close twice through Australian striker Adam Hughes.
But Sammon could have grabbed a second in the dying minutes when UCD countered and he went one-on-one with Richard Brush, only for the netminder to make a fine save.
