An Evan Osam own goal, coupled with Kailin Barlow's second of the season eased the pressure on Sligo Rovers boss John Russell as the Bit O'Red picked up their first win in seven, beating ten-man UCD in a sometimes cagey affair at the Showgrounds.
Osam turned Greg Bolger's cross into his own net shortly after the quarter hour, while substitute Barlow calmed the nerves in the 63rd minute, crashing home from the angle.
The Students finished the game without their full complement. Adam Wells shown a straight red late on.
The win moved Rovers six points ahead of second from bottom Cork City, who occupy the relegation-play off place.
Rovers looked like they should have had a penalty in the opening exchanges when UCD skipper Jack Keaney used raised hands to stop Pedro Martelo's cross at the end line, four minutes before the Portuguese striker struck the Students' crossbar with a wonderfully hit volley on the turn from the edge of the area.
Sligo captain David Cawley saw his header creep past Lorcan Healy's far post from a Fabrice Hartmann corner shortly after. While it was the Dubliners' turn to smack the frame of the goal on 13 minutes when Harvey O'Brien's header from a corner came back off Brush's crossbar.
Local reports suggested Sligo might dispense of Russell's services were the hosts not to take maximum points here. The Galway man might have breathed a little easier on 17 minutes when Osam could only sweep Bolger's cross towards the back post, into his own net.
Things might have got even better for Rovers eleven minutes from the break when Brendan Barr allowed Karl O'Sullivan's lengthy clearance creep under his feet, allowing Martelo through on goal. Lorcan Healy however, did just enough to tip Martelo's toe-poke around his post.
The crossbar rattled again before the interval courtesy of Rovers' John Mahon, while an edgy second half took 18 minutes to produce the game's second goal.Substitute Barlow capitalising on the space offered by Hartmann's pass, before the local lad lashed the ball across the front of Healy and inside the far post for his second goal of the season.
UCD finished the game with ten players, Wells sent to the bench after he tripped Martelo as the Sligo attacker closed in on goal. Healy pulling off a superb save, low down to keep out Barlow's resulting set-piece.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Niall Morahan, Garry Buckley, John Mahon, Reece Hutchinson; David Cawley, Greg Bolger (Johan Brannefalk 82); Fabrice Hartmann, Robbie Burton (Kailin Barlow 60), Karl O'Sullivan; Pedro Martelo.
UCD: Lorcan Healy; Adam Wells, Jack Keaney (Danu Kinsella-Bishop 64), Brendan Barr (Jake Doyle 69), Evan Osam (Harry Curtis 69); Dara Keane, Sean Brennan, Adam Verdon (Ciaran Behan 56), Luke O'Regan, Daniel Norris (Michael Raggett 69); Harvey O'Brien.
Referee: Gavin Colfer.
