Bohemians lost ground in the Airtricity Premier Division as UCD produced a battling defensive display to earn a 0-0 draw at Dalymount Park.
The defending champions had the majority of possession but struggled to break down the Students' defence and have won just one of their five homes games this season.
UCD were full value for their point, with central defensive pairing of Andy Boyle and captain Evan McMillan worthy of special praise.
Defensive football has been brought back into fashion by Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan and the Students had clearly learned a thing or two from the Italian champions as they frustrated Bohs for long periods.
For all UCD's good play, Bohemians were guilty of squandering too much possession in good areas.
Bohs made two changes to the side that had beaten Sporting Fingal, with Anto Murphy and Ruaidhri Higgins replacing the injured Raffaele Cretaro and the suspended Gareth McGlynn.
David McMillan returned for the Students out wide in place of Dwayne Wilson, who dropped to the bench.
There had been little for the crowd to get excited about up until the 40th minute, but Bohs could still have taken a two-goal lead into half-time.
Jason Byrne was first to go close after good approach play by Ruaidhri Higgins and Paul Keegan. Byrne found space to pick up Keegan's pass but dragged his shot wide from ten yards.
UCD goalkeeper Billy Brennan made the first save of the game on 44 minutes as he parried Mark Quigley's stinging close-range volley.
Ciaran Kilduff was once again UCD's main threat up front, but he was largely kept in check by Ken Oman and Jason McGuinness.
Bohs were a different side at the start of the second half and Quigley was only denied by the width of a post. The striker stepped inside and fired towards goal but the effort clipped the upright.
Anto Murphy was then unfortunate not to open the scoring with a glancing header from a Higgins free-kick.
UCD showed little in attack, but gave Bohs two warnings that they were still in the game.
Paul Keegan was forced to turn Kilduff's cutback out for a corner after Greg Bolger had picked out the striker in the box. Moments later, David McMillan powered a header wide from Paul Corry's corner.
Pat Fenlon introduced Paddy Madden, Killian Brennan and Aaron Greene to try to break the deadlock but UCD's players threw their tired bodies in front of every shot and cross to deny the champions.
Bohemians: 1 B Murphy; 2 Rossiter, 5 McGuinness, 6 Oman, 15 Shelley; 11 Higgins, 4 Cronin (12 Madden '60), 8 Keegan, 7 A Murphy (14 Brennan '69); 9 Quigley (16 Greene '74), 10 Byrne.
Subs not used: 3 Powell, 25 O'Connor.
UCD: 1 Brennan; 2 Harding, 4 Boyle, E McMillan, 3 Shortall; 6 Bolger, 7 McMahon (13 Creevy '80), 8 Corry; 10 D McMillan (14 Wilson '85), 11 Mulhall; 9 Kilduff.
Subs not used: 12 Nangle, 15 Rusk, 16 Barron.
Booked: Harding '35, Shortall '55.
Referee: Alan Kelly.
