Dara Keane hit a cracking second half winner as UCD came from behind to earn a big three points in their battle for Premier Division survival.
Bohemians' late equaliser against Finn Harps across the city lifts the Students two points off the bottom of the table with Monday's game at Shelbourne in hand.
They then visit Ballybofey next Friday.
Kicking off in heavy rain didn’t hinder Drogheda midfielder Darragh Nugent who provided the first note of the night with a terrific goal just four minutes in.
The Shamrock Rovers loanee slalomed past several half hearted challenges, worked a neat one-two with Chris Lyons, before rifling a drive past Kian Moore for his second goal of the season.
Passing it well, Drogheda might have doubled their lead seven minutes later.
Nugent’s cross wasn’t dealt with by the UCD defence who were happy to see Dean Williams’ header bounce past a post.
Having won a couple of corners, UCD worked their way into the game, coming close to an equaliser on 17 minutes.
Alex Nolan’s low cross from the right was only half cleared to Evan Caffrey whose first time volley flashedwide.
College kept playing and punished sloppy defending to get their reward on 40 minutes.
Nolan floated a free kick from the left to the back post where skipper Jack Keaney was left totally unmarked to toe-poke home from a couple of yards.
The heavy pitched contributed to Drogheda almost regaining the lead in first half stoppage time.
The ball held up in a wet patch as Darragh Markey treaded Williams in to shoot. Moore did well to bat away his deflected shot.
In a lively start to the second half, College were inches from taking the lead less than a minute in.
Lyons’s loose pass was pounced by Tommy Lonergan who skipped in behind to drill a shot just wide of Colin McCabe’s far spot.
McCabe then made his first big save of the night just past the hour from a UCD counter.
The lively Sean Brennan put Nolan in down the inside-right channel with the Drogheda goalkeeper touching the powerful drive over his crossbar.
McCabe was there again minutes later, parrying away a shot from Donal Higgins, before UCD struck for their deserved winner on 67 minutes.
Midfielder Keane found a pocket of space on the edge of the area from Higgins' pass to rifle a rising shot to the net.
UCD: Kian Moore; Michael Gallagher, Sam Todd, Jack Keaney, Evan Osam; Evan Caffrey; Donal Higgins (Mark Dignam 68), Dara Keane, Sean Brennan, Alex Nolan; Tommy Lonergan.
Drogheda United: Colin McCabe; Darragh Noone, Andrew Quinn, Dane Massey; Darragh Nugent, Darragh Markey, Ryan Brennan, Dylan Grimes, Dayle Rooney; Chris Lyons, Dean Williams.
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).
