By Micil Glennon
An injury-time Dean Kelly goal secured the three points that Shamrock Rovers needed to claim their 17th League of Ireland title, as they beat UCD 2-1 at the Belfield Bowl.
Ken Oman put Rovers 1-0 up in the 68th minute only for Robbie Benson to equalise for the Students just two minutes later with a clever back-heel.
Both sides were reduced to 10 men in the second half with Craig Sives and Darren Meenan sent off for double bookings.
But substitute Kelly was the hero for the Hoops turning in Stephen O'Donnell's cross in the 94th minute and sending the away fans into raptures.
Michael O’Neill made wholesale changes to the team that suffered the narrow defeat to PAOK last Thursday in the Europa League with seven players coming into the side, including Richard Brush in goal and Rohan Ricketts in midfield.
Meanwhile, Martin Russell, whose team had shipped six goals against Rovers on three occasions already this season, made just one change to the team beaten by Bohemians two weeks ago, with Ciaran Nangle coming in for the suspended Daniel Ledwith.
It was perhaps then no surprise that it took Rovers just 45 seconds to get a shot on target, with UCD goalkeeper Mark McGinley denying Gary McCabe from 12 yards.
Rovers then had a concerted period of pressure with Ricketts and McCabe making inroads on the wings but there was a moment of worry down the other end when Paul O’Conor’s long-range effort had Brush scrambling.
The visitors’ build-up play, through Conor McCormack, Ricketts and McCabe, continued to trouble the Students but the final ball was lacking.
The home side had a glorious opportunity to take the lead in the 24th minute. Dean Marshall’s deflected cross fell to Darren Meenan but his volley from 15 yards flew wide.
Spurred on by this and with the Hoops defenders giving them too much space, both Graham Rusk and then Meenan again were allowed to get shots off.
And when Pat Sullivan tripped Robbie Benson, Rusk was just wide with a glancing header from Meenan’s free kick. The away support were getting slightly frustrated and O’Conor was next in line for UCD, his shot from 40 yards going just a foot over Brush’s bar.
Then it was Rovers’ turn to attack. Firstly, Ciaran Nangle blocked Craig Sives’ effort and just before the half-time whistle Karl Sheppard was adjudged to have handled the ball before finishing to the net.
The title race took another twist just a minute after the restart. Sives, already in the book, was late on Benson and the referee had no option but to produce another yellow and the champions elect were down to 10 men.
A minute later Benson controlled Meenan’s cross in the six-yard box but was crowded out before he could get clear.
On the hour mark, after Kilduff had been withdrawn for Ken Oman, Hugh Douglas and Michael Leahy bundled Sheppard over on the edge of the box but McCabe’s free-kick was straight at McGinley.
As Rovers upped the tempo, Sheppard then got to McCabe’s free in the box but couldn’t direct his header on target. Just as some of the Rovers fans might have been thinking about wrapping up the league at home to Galway United on Friday, Oman struck. Timing his run to perfection, the substitute powered an unstoppable header past McGinley from McCabe’s corner.
But the lead only last two minutes. The Students won a corner and Benson back-heeled Meenan’s cross over the line to put the celebrations on ice.
UCD were then reduced to 10 men when Meenan saw yellow for a needless challenge with 10 minutes to play.
With Rovers in the second-last-chance saloon they piled forward looking for the goal that would retain their Airtricity Premier Division title.
Sheppard then had two efforts in the space of 20 seconds with McGinley doing brilliantly to deny the first header.
The killer move came in fourth minute of additional time. Stephen O’Donnell worked some space down the left-hand side and his cross was deflected into the path of Kelly who tapped in off the post to send the sizeable Hoops support wild.
UCD: Mark McGinley; Hugh Douglas (Dean Clarke 85), David O’Connor, Michael Leay, Ciaran Nangle; Dean Marshall (Sean Russell 64), Paul Corry, Paul O’Conor, Darren Meenan; Graham Rusk, Robbie Benson. (Tomas Boyle 85).
Subs not used: Barry McCabe, Stephen Doyle, , Chris Lyons, Niall Corbert.
Shamrock Rovers: Richard Brush; Pat Sullivan, Craig Sives, Dan Murray, Enda Stevens; Gary McCabe, Ciaran Kilduff (Ken Oman 49), Ronan Finn (Stephen O’Donnell 64), Conor McCormack, Rohan Ricketts (Dean Kelly 80), Karl Sheppard.
Subs not used: Stephen Rice, Gary O’Neill, Jim Patterson, Ryan Thompson.
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin)
Atendance: 2,552
