It's very much game on in the title race, Shamrock Rovers to visit Derry on Friday week, after City demolished UCD at Belfield tonight.
Andy Myler's kids desperately needed not to concede early but they did as Daniel Mullen pounced on two minutes before Will Patching and Brandon Kavanagh's excellent pair of finishes – each – either side of the break ended any semblance of a debate.
City, who had several first-team starters in the stand or on the bench, are now four off the champions and will be ready for war in nine days' time.
It is hard to know what Rovers manager Stephen Bradley thought of it all among the Belfield crowd, but the Hoops have won their last three. It promises to be an exceptionally tense encounter at Brandywell.
There was not much tension in south Dublin, with UCD winding down before their inevitable relegation, though they did play some nice football at times.
Derry were soon off the mark. The excellent Sadou Diallo sprayed a sweet ball wide to Paul McMullan and his cross was headed home by the in-form Mullan from a handful of yards. Already, one could sense UCD's body language: this would be a long, albeit gloriously sunny September evening.
However, College rallied and Daniel Norris's sublime control preceded a snapshot that reminded Brian Maher, who had the game of his life in Dundalk last Friday, that they had not gone away.
Dara Keane then brilliantly killed a ball with his chest before his effort was deflected wide. UCD grew into the game and a glorious move from one end of the pitch to the other, Cameron McJannett slipping, afforded Dan Kinsella-Bishop a superb chance but Maher made himself big and blocked for a corner.
Midway through the half, Lorcan Healy made a hash of an attempted clearance and Patching, who was also outstanding at Oriel, really should have scored.
The soporific atmosphere was not helping the intensity on the pitch, Patching blasting over with nine minutes before the break briefly interrupting the chatter in the stand, with players and coaches from a scatter of other clubs in attendance.
It was Patching who made it two six minutes before the break and again McMullan's cross was key but the nonchalance of Patching's finish was a joy to witness.
And it was 3-0 two minutes before the interval, Kavanagh finishing with style just inside the box from a lovely Ben Doherty cross.
City were cruising and another stunning Patching goal, this time with his left foot seven minutes into the second half, prompted Myler to make a resigned triple-substitution.
Kavanagh was heavily involved in the move and will be itching to start against his old club in Tallaght. Stephen Bradley had, at this stage, seen enough too.
Kavanagh was not finished, his own left-footed curler on 57 minutes perfectly placed beyond the despairing Healy.
The closing quarter was largely uneventful as City played out time, knowing energy needs to be conserved for greater tests ahead.
There was a Derry debut for Callum McCay – who just turned turned 17 a fortnight ago – as he came on for Sadou Diallo.
He may be the next star for a club noted for producing so much talent.
In the short-term thoughts turn to a potential title-decider on Friday week and if the established stars can keep the club in the race to dethrone the champions.
UCD: Healy; Wells, Keaney, Bar, Osam; Norris (Higgins 53), Verdon (Curtis), Brennan, Keane, Behan (Doyle 53); Kinsella-Bishop (Raggett 53).
Derry City: Maher; Coll, McJannnett (Todd 60), S McEleney, Doherty; Diallo (McCay 71), O'Reilly (McEleney 57); McMullan, Parching (McEneff 60), B Kavanagh; Mullan (C Kavanagh 58).
Referee: David Dunne.
