Cork City and UCD's relegation worries have only increased after they played out a 1-1 draw at Turner’s Cross.
It was a night that presented itself as the ideal opportunity to gain some ground on Drogheda United and Sligo Rovers, and the home side thought they did enough to get something when Cian Bargary scored at the Shed End midway through the first half.
But, it was substitute Danu Kinsella Bishop that decided this game as he got away from his marker and hit the back of the net.
The result means very little to both teams’ position in the division, it just increases the inevitability of a play-off and relegation.
To City, this was supposed to be a night when they got their first league win since the beginning of June.
This reflected in their play with an early shot from Rokas Stanulevičius getting scrambled away by the UCD defence. Ben Worman also went for goal and Lorcan Healy reacted to push the ball out for the first corner of the game.
The best that the College could do was press an Ollie Byrne kick-out and Dara Keane almost won his side a turnover with this. City recovered and Bargary combined with Kevin Čustović to break through the middle, and the ball was hit just over at the Shed End.
The Rebel Army's patience was rewarded when Worman squared to Bargary inside the area and his shot went through the hands of the UCD goalkeeper in the 25th minute.
They almost doubled their lead at the end of the first half after Coffey won the ball in midfield and played Jaze Kabia into space. The striker ran through the middle, and his low shot rolled just away from the intended target.
City came out from the break and Honhoan picked out Kabia with a long ball over the top. He knocked this into Coffey’s path, and the midfielder’s close range shot went straight into the hands of the UCD goalkeeper.
Bargary also pulled back inside the area and set up Kabia. The forward was surrounded in navy and blue jerseys as he took a touch and UCD took the ball from the feet of the attacker.
Kinsella Bishop came on for the College with just ten minutes played in the second half, and he knocked in a cross from close range.
The substitute’s next touch of the ball in the final third of the pitch stung the palms of Ollie Byrne.
The best that City could do in the minutes that remained was an off balance shot from Coffey, and that went out for a goal-kick.
Sean Brennan tried to score after this, and his attempt was tipped out for a corner that came to nothing.
Cork City: Ollie Byrne; Cian Coleman, Aaron Bolger, Barry Coffey, Cian Bargary, Rokas Stanulevičius (Ruairi Keating 69), Conor Drinan (John O'Donovan 86), Ben Worman, Josh Honohan, Kevin Čustovic, Jaze Kabia (Tunde Olowabi 77).
UCD: Lorcan Healy; Michael Gallagher, Evan Osman, Adam Wells, Jack Keaney, Brendan Barr (Donal Higgins 63), Dara Keane, Daniel Norris, Jake Doyle (Danu Kinsella Bishop 55), Sean Brennan, Adam Verdon.
Referee: Gavin Colfer
