Drogheda United 0-3 UCD

UCD head the Airtricity Premier Division after a comprehensive win over Drogheda United in their first game back in the top flight since 2008.

Ciaran Kilduff was their man of the night, bagging himself a brace in the rout with Greg Bolger adding his name to the scoresheet.

In truth, Kilduff could have had more than the two as the pacey striker tormented the Drogheda defence, in particular the central pairing of Jamie Harris and Alan McNally, who seemed unable to deal with his blistering speed.

Kilduff opened the scoring on the hour mark as his pace took him round Jamie Harris and he finished low past Skinner.

Bolger doubled the lead five minutes later. Keith Ward provided the pass and the midfielder steamed into the void left in the centre of defence before rifling home his shot.

Kilduff complete the drubbing on 90 minutes with a fine solo effort, taking the ball in midfield and surging toward goal before wrong-footing Skinner with a deft flick to the bottom left corner.

The visitors began in a lively fashion, moving the ball well throughout the midfield and causing the Drogheda defence no end of trouble.

Mulhall and Kilduff combined after only four minutes, the first of many interchanges in the opening period, with the former crossing for the latter who failed to keep his header down from four yards out.

The Students looked to have had the ball in the net when Kilduff was clean through facing an onrushing Paul Skinner, but his neat lob rebounded off the underside of the crossbar and was hacked away by the Drogheda rearguard.

Drogheda barely featured in the first half, their only chance coming on ten minutes when Glen Fitzpatrick lofted a cross into the box which was chested down by John Flood and laid off to Brendan McGill whose shot is saved by Brennan.

Flood tested Brennan in the UCD goal just after the restart, but the diminutive keeper was more than up to the task as Drogheda were restricted to long shots.

UCD had what seemed to have a legitimate penalty shout turned down on 56 minutes, and to add insult to injury Graham Rusk saw himself booked for diving.

But Martin Russell's charges seemed to be in control after moving to a 4-5-1 formation leaving Kildfuff as the lone striker.

Drogheda now face a daunting trip to Oriel Park on Sunday to face local rivals Dundalk (live on RTÉ) and Alan Mathews will have to go back to the drawing board to avoid a repeat performance of tonight.

Drogheda United: P Skinner, C Treacy, J Kendrick, A McNally, J Harris, E McGill (86 G O'Connor), B McGill (76 J Duffy), R Martin (63 P Crowley), M Daly, J Flood, G Fitzpatrick

Subs Not Used: P Murphy, B King

UCD: B Brennan, S Harding, C Nangle, A Boyle, B Shortall, G Bolger, K ward (85 S Fitzgerald), S Roche ( 80, P Corry) , C Kilduff, G Rusk, C Mulhall

Subs Not Used: M Leahy,D McMillan, M McGinley

Ref: D Hanney