An audacious opening goal of the night from Ryan Brennan was the highlight as Drogheda United cruised to victory at the UCD Bowl.
Conor Keeley and Adam Foley added further strikes to give Drogheda their first win in four games and complete a hat-trick of victories over the Students.
The win also moves Kevin Doherty's side above Sligo Rovers into seventh place, and five points clear of Cork City in the relegation play-off place ahead of their trip to Sligo on Saturday night.
Barring a miracle, UCD look doomed as Andy Myler's side remain 14 points adrift at the bottom of the table.
Among three changes from their 4-0 loss to Shelbourne last week, College gave a debut to new signing Éanna Clancy who played on the right of a back three in a change of formation by boss Myler.
And the Students started positively, pinning Drogheda in early on to force the first corner of the game.
Jake Doyle then volleyed wide to register the game’s opening shot in anger.
Unchanged from their impressive 0-0 draw with champions Shamrock Rovers last week, the visitors were slow to settle, but they came alive on 15 minutes to mine the first promising opening of the game.
Evan Weir got forward from left-back to thread a ball through for the run of Brennan, but UCD skipper Jack Keaney got across promptly to avert the danger as Brennan was about to pull the trigger.
It was a mere reprieve as a now dominant Drogheda carved the home side open to take the lead four minutes later.
Right-back Luke Heeney’s ball down the right found Adam Foley in acres of space. The cross was arrowed in low to the near post where Brennan, playing centre-forward since Freddie Draper’s departure, scored with a delightful reverse flick with his right foot for his third goal of the season.
Drogheda doubled their lead from their third corner of the game on 26 minutes.
Brennan did well to head the delivery back out to Dayle Rooney, and the ball was quickly recycled back into the area where Keeley scored with a crisp half-volley for a fine first goal of the season for the big centre-back.
Ragged at the back, UCD were fortunate not to concede again eight minutes later. Skipper Gary Deegan and Darragh Markey combined to feed Heeney, whose cross was volleyed wide in spectacular fashion by the off-balance Brennan.
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Drogheda United's win sees them leapfrog Sligo Rovers who face Cork City tomorrow.
Bohemians overtake Dundalk on goal difference but the teams not involved this weekend could be quite happy with the outcome at Tolka Park 👀#LOI pic.twitter.com/ymLTbLh7Nh
UCD were carved open all too easily once more on 37 minutes. Weir again attacked from the back with Markey and Rooney working the ball back to put him on goal. Goalkeeper Kian Moore got the slightest of contact to deflect the shot out across goal for another corner.
In a slow burner of a second half it was the 66th minute before either side got a real sight of goal.
Heeney’s hoofed clearance gave substitute Kyle Robinson an early opening on his debut. A one-two with Rooney didn’t quite come off as Robinson, stretching, couldn’t connect with the return pass.
But Drogheda soon put the game to bed in the 72nd minute.
Markey’s floated free-kick was nodded back across goal by Manny Adegboyega for Foley to score with a stooping header for his fourth goal in five games.
Mikey Raggett and Sean Brennan combined on the left to set up substitute Danu Kinsella-Bishop for UCD’s 83rd-minute consolation.
UCD: Kian Moore; Eanna Clancy (Ryan Bowden 30), Jack Keaney, Michael Gallagher (Brendan Barr 63); Adam Verdon, Adam Wells; Daniel Babb (Ciaran Behan 56), Sean Brennan, Jesse Dempsey; Mikey Raggett, Jake Doyle (Danu Kinsella-Bishop ht).
Drogheda United: Andrew Wogan; Luke Heeney, Conor Keeley, Manny Adegboyega, Evan Weir; Darragh Noone (Aaron McNally 62), Gary Deegan; Adam Foley (Michael Leddy 74), Darragh Markey, Dayle Rooney (Warren Davies 77); Ryan Brennan (Kyle Robinson 62).
Referee: Gavin Colfer (Dublin).
