Bohemians 3-1 UCD

Goals from Jason Byrne, the impressive Gareth McGlynn and Mark Quigley made it four wins from five in the league for Bohemians as they moved up to second in the table.

And while UCD made a match of it despite being 2-0 down at the break, Bohemians fully deserved their win with the only blemish on the night being the result from Inchicore which sees Pat Fenlon's champions still seven points behind Shamrock Rovers.

'I think the expectations aren't a help to us,' bemoaned Fenlon in his programmes notes. 'People expect us to win matches like this, but that allows teams like UCD to come here and play and express themselves with no pressure on them.'

But Fenlon need scarcely have worried as his side set the good early tempo he wanted and, save for a couple of hairy moments, were full value for their 2-0 interval lead.

Byrne had a chance to put pressure on College on ten minutes, but his shot on the turn, after good work by Conor Powell, Raffaele Cretaro and McGlynn set him up, was over the top.

That let off allowed UCD to do precisely what Fenlon feared, express themselves, and they'd two decent chances inside three minutes.

Karl Moore whipped in a telling ball from the left to the near post with Brian Shortall's diving header needing a good save from Chris O'Connor. Moore was then not too far over the top from a dipping free-kick.

Anthony Buttimer's refereeing was frustrating Bohemians and their captain Owen Heary was booked for dissent after Jason McGuinness had a 22nd minute 'goal' disallowed for offside.

But there was nothing wrong at all with the lead goal on 29 minutes.

On the counter, Killian Brennan and McGlynn worked the ball forward to Byrne who held off Evan McMillan before drilling past Billy Brennan for his first goal in almost four months.

Only good defending prevented a second Bohemians goal three minutes later as Moore hacked off the line from McGlynn from Brennan's corner with Quigley shooting the rebound wide.

Bohemians got a deserved second, well-worked strike on 37 minutes.

Quigley showed nimble feet from Heary's pass to set-up McGlynn who rifled to the roof of the net from the edge of the area.

The woodwork denied Byrne a second goal on 58 minutes when his header hit a post from Brennan's dinked cross. UCD keeper Brennan then had to push a stinging drive McGlynn round a post.

College didn't lie down and got some reward from their ninth corner of the second half on 68 minutes.

Worked short with Moore, substitute Chris Mulhall crossed and Paul Corry shot home as Bohemians failed to clear.

But Quigley put the seal on Bohemians deserved win when drilling to the net on 84 minutes after Paddy Madden had won possession from full-back Paul O'Conor.

Bohemians: O'Connor; Heary, Shelley, McGuinness, Powell; Quigley, Cronin (Higgins, 90 mins.), McGlynn, Brennan; Cretaro (Greene, 87 mins.), Byrne (Madden, 72 mins.)

UCD: Brennan; O'Conor, E. McMillan, Leahy, Shortall; Ward (Mulhall, h/t), Bolger, Corry, Moore; Rusk (Wilson, 82 mins.), Kilduff.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).

Attendance: 890