Max Mata scored a hat-trick as Sligo Rovers had to twice come from behind for victory at the UCD Bowl.
Though Sligo enjoyed much of the ball and created the majority of the chances in a riveting game, they needed two harshly awarded penalties to turn the game around.
Unchanged from last week's home draw with champions Shamrock Rovers, Sligo began on the front foot only to find themselves behind on five minutes.
Kailin Barlow cleverly dribbled to the end line within 90 seconds, but there was no red shirt there to convert the cross as UCD cleared.
Sloppiness by UCD gifted the victors another sight of goal three minutes later. Frank Liivak should have done better than shoot tamely into the arms of Lorcan Healy.
College then showed Sligo how to properly punish a mistake when taking the lead.
Bit O’ Red centre-back Eanna Clancy, who turns 19 on Sunday, was pressed into an error when his pass back to goalkeeper Luke McNicholas fell short.
Danu Kinsella-Bishop was alert to the opening, skipping away to cross where Alex Nolan arrived to apply a composed finish.
Looking for an immediate response, Sligo had the ball in the UCD net on 12 minutes, though Mata’s effort was ruled out for offside.
Minutes later Mata rose above the home defence, but not the ball, to meet skipper Greg Bolger’s cross and plant his header over the crossbar.
The Kiwi striker soon made amends, though, as Sligo were rewarded with a deserved equaliser on 21 minutes.
UCD gave the ball up cheaply with Barlow finding Liivak in space on the right.
The Estonian’s ball in behind found Mata, onside this time. The striker neatly cut past Ryan Bowden before rifling to the net beyond Healy for a fine first goal of the season.
Though owning much of the ball, Sligo had a right let off five minutes later as UCD were close to regaining the lead.
Donal Higgins and Nolan cut Rovers open a little too easily on the right with McNicholas having to make a brave save with his feet to deny Kinsella-Bishop.
As in the first half, Sligo got the first sight of goal in the second only to once again find themselves behind.
Two minutes in, Sligo left-back Reece Hutchinson latched onto a sloppy free kick from Danny Norris to burst forward and shoot inches over Healy crossbar.
Two minutes later UCD regained the lead.
Ciaran Behan found room on the left from a long clearance to play Kinsella-Bishop through to poke the ball past McNicholas.
Stefan Radosavjkevic shot wide while Will Fitzgerald blazed over before Sligo’s pressure brought their second equaliser on 69 minutes.
Fabrice Hartmann’s cross struck the hand of UCD’s Brendan Barr with referee Ray Matthews pointing to the spot.
Mata emphatically drove the penalty to the bottom corner.
A terrific run from Fitzgerald five minutes later deserved more as the Sligo winger watched his shot flash wide of the far post.
A Sligo’s winner did arrive, however fortuitously, on 82 minutes as trip by Nolan on the marauding Hutchinson looked outside the box.
The penalty was nonetheless given and Mata obliged once again to complete his hat-trick.
UCD: Lorcan Healy; Michael Gallagher, Ryan Bowden, Jack Keaney, Danny Norris (Mark Dignam 53); Brendan Barr (Samuel Clarke 89); Alex Nolan (Divine Izekro 84), Dara Keane, Donal Higgins (Harry O’Connor 89), Ciaran Behan; Kinsella-Bishop
Sligo Rovers: Luke McNicholas; Johan Brannefalk, Eanna Clancy, Nando Pijnaker, Reece Hutchinson (Danny Lafferty 90); Greg Bolger (Stefan Radosavljevic 59); Lukas Browning, Kailin Barlow (Niall Morahan 83); Frank Liivak (Frabrice Hartmann 59), Max Mata, Will Fitzgerald
Referee: Ray Matthews (Midlands)
