Daryl's Horgan's expertly taken penalty deep in first-half stoppage time livened up a dull game as Dundalk maintained their lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division with the slenderest of wins.
The Galwayman gave a glimpse about why he was rewarded with 17 caps as he gave Students keeper Dara Kavanagh the eyes before slotting the ball calmly into the opposite corner.
Dundalk remain six points clear at the top, but they were made to work for it as Enda Minogue saved Adam Brennan’s late penalty to secure a vital win.
The visitors were the first to threaten and Andy Paraschiv left Kavanagh in no man’s land as he nodded Declan McDaid’s centre back across goal, but his looping header came back off the post.
UCD hit back with a promising move of their own as Adam Wells ducked in from the right and knuckled a shot from 20 yards but it lacked the swerve to trouble Minogue in the Lilywhites goal.
Ciarán Behan then slipped Mikey Raggett through in the box but, tracked by centre half Vinnie Leonard, he pulled his shot into the near side netting
It was UCD’s turn to test the woodwork then as they awarded a free kick 20 yards out when Leonard’s centre back partner Mayowa Animasahun clumsily chopped down Raggett.
Adam Verdon stepped up and sent a powerful curling shot over the wall and over the outstretched arm of Minogue that crashed back off the bar, and Behan put the rebound wide.
Little else of consequence happened until injury time when Animasahun went from cartoon villain to hero as he went down softly following what appeared to be a shirt pull.
The Students complained vociferously but ex-Preston North End and Hibernian man Horgan had no such quibbles and slotted the ball calmly into the left corner.
Dundalk dominated a second half without many clear chances, Gbemi Arubi finding Kavanagh with a tame effort before McDaid stung the keeper’s palms from range.
Éanna Clancy strode forward and tested Minogue from 20 yards and Verdon saw his effort tipped over as the home side reverted to a more attacking formation.
And their endeavour was rewarded three minutes from time as McManus appeared to handle in the area and, following a lengthy delay, Brennan stepped up.
The midfielder was hesitant, however, and Minogue anticipated his weak effort and, though Hugh Smith bundled in a subsequent shot, he was deemed offside and the goal was struck off.
Elsewhere the chasing pack kept pace with Cobh Ramblers and Bray Wanderers both claiming wins that saw them avoid losing further ground to Dundalk.
Bray had to do it the hard way however and it took an injury-time winner from Richard Ferizaj's to claim a 3-2 victory over Treaty United.
Mark Byrne put Treaty in front early on through Mark Byrne's opener but they were reduced to ten men soon after when Steven Healy was harshly adjudged to have denied Billy O'Neill a goal scoring opportunity.
Goals from Conor Knight and Cian Curtis appeared to have the Seagulls cruising but a equaliser against the run of play from Joe Hanson looks set to give Treaty a hard-fought point before Ferizaj stuck out a foot to deflect his brother Justin's shot past the goalkeeper and into the net.
Cobh Ramblers had a much more straight-forward victory as a hat-trick from Shane Griffin helped them a 3-1 win at home to Longford Town.
Griffin opened the scoring on 37 minutes but fans were still celebrating that goal when Daniel Norris equalised two minutes afterwards.
However Cobh stepped things up in the second-half and further goals from Griffin on the 50th and 81st minute were enough to seal things.
Elsewhere Kerry claimed a convincing win in the battle between the basement sides as they eased to a 4-0 victory over bottom side Athlone.
First-half goals from Ronan Teahan, Sean O'Connell and Robert Cleary all but ended the game as a contest by half-time and Carl Mujaguzi's second-half strike made sure of the result.
While in Ferrycarrig Park, Wexford came from behind to beat Finn Harps 2-1.
UCD: Dara Kavanagh; Adam Wells, Carl Lennox, Éanna Clancy (Declan Osa gie 80), Brian McManus (Ryan McBrearty 80); Adam Verdon, Adam Brennan, Ciarán Behan (Louis Dignam 84); Mikey McCullagh (Sam Norval 80), Jake Doyle, Mikey Raggett (Hugh Smith 59).
Dundalk: Enda Minogue; Conor O’Keeffe, Mayowa Animasahun, Vinnie Leonard, John Ross Wilson; Harry Groome (Eoin Kenny 67), Aodh Dervin, Andy Parashiv (Shane Tracey 79); Declan McDaid (Rohan Vaughan 79), Daryl Horgan (Keith Ward 90+3), Gbemi Arubi. (Dean Ebbe 67)
Referee: Mark Houlihan (Dublin).
