For the third time this season, Mervue United made the Students sweat over the three points, although were it not for a fine goalkeeping performance by Eóin Martyn, UCD would surely have won by five or six. However, at the end of a night of high drama, the three points were still gained, and UCD sit four points atop of the First Division with three games to go.

For the third time this season, Mervue United made the Students sweat over the three points, although were it not for a fine goalkeeping performance by Eóin Martyn, UCD would surely have won by five or six. However, at the end of a night of high drama, the three points were still gained, and UCD sit four points atop of the First Division with three games to go. Shels' slip up on Friday meant UCD were in the promotion driving seat for the first time all season. There were two changes from the team which beat Wexford last week, with Pete McMahon and Chris Mulhall being replaced by Greg Bolger and Keith Ward as UCD went with a curious 4-5-1 formation. 

The Students started busily, forcing three corners and getting off four shots in the opening five minutes, but a physical Mervue side soon got into the game, playing a deep, packed defence which UCD found very difficult to prise open. Dave McMillan hit the stanchion from 20 yards with the first real chance after 18 minutes, before Sean Harding was also narrowly wide of the same post from 20 yards after an unchallenged 20-yard run. Just past the half hour, a lovely dummy from Keith Ward put Paul Corry into space, but his through ball to Kilduff was called up for a narrow offside. Ward himself had the next chance, breaking into the box from the left, but his dinked shot was weak and well wide. With two minutes to half time, the hosts were reduced to ten men. Rory Gaffney, already on a booking and a warning, led with his elbow against Ciarán Nangle. 

McMillan came close to an opener on the stroke of half time, but his drive from a narrow angle was well saved by the feet of Martyn. Those last couple of minutes were to define the second half. Reduced to ten men, UCD found more space, and Mervue relaxed their physical approach, fearing another red. In addition, Eóin Martyn - whose save from McMillan was his first real action of the game - was soon pulling off save after save, while the officials were soon baffling all with their decisions. UCD went straight up field from the restart and, within five seconds, Kilduff was played through and tucked home, only to be ruled offside - a seemingly awful call, and one which incensed the UCD bench. 

Two minutes later, the bench were up in arms again when Kilduff was booked for diving to try win a penalty - a remarkable decision given he didn't appeal for a penalty, and in fact tried to play on after being dropped by a good tackle. Dave McMillan also picked up a yellow for remonstrating with the ref, and four minutes later, both were subbed off, being replaced by Pete McMahon and Chris Mulhall. The subs precipitated a period of utter UCD dominance, at the centre of which was the lead goal. Within a minute of the change, Keith Ward's run and shot was well saved by Martyn, who tipped Chris Mulhall's free kick over the bar not 30 seconds later; from the resulting corner, Greg Bolger's shot was charged down. We had all of 60 seconds to wait for the next chance - Chris Mulhall's 20-yard drive took a deflection to send it towards the bottom corner, but Martyn reacted quite superbly to get a hand to the ball and turn it away for a corner. And Martyn somehow exceeded even that save four minutes later when another marauding Seán Harding run ended with a vicious shot from 15 yards, but Martyn flung himself to his right to pull off a seemingly impossible one-handed save. 

Perhaps disheartened, UCD didn't create anything of note for another 20 minutes, although the play was still decidedely one-way, with Mervue content to clear their lines; one or two of Martyn's goal kicks went straight through to Ger Barron without so much as a Mervue player inside the UCD half. However, the next chance was crucial - Keith Ward again broke into the box and was bodychecked. For one horrible moment, it appeared as if the ref had awarded a free in, but he was merely confirming that the foul was inside the box. Ronan Finn casually rolled the penalty to Martyn's right, sending the keeper the wrong way. 

As the game entered injury time, it descended into farce. Mervue's number 9 was sent off for a second yellow, causing consternation among the Mervue players, who argued that he hadn't even been booked. On discussion with the fourth official, the red card was rescinded. It appeared that the ref had previously incorrectly noted the player in his book, causing the confusion this time around, but the player who should have been booked the first time had stayed on the pitch after picking up a second yellow with a quarter of an hour to go. In the second minute of injury time, Mervue won a corner, which was thumped home by Nigel Keady, causing a brief moment of panic, but the Students held out for the remaining minute to take the points. Three games now remain - three wins are needed to go up as champions. Hopefully they won't all be as frustrating and nerve-wracking as this one! 

UCD - Barron; Harding, Nangle, Boyle, E McMillan; Bolger, Ward, Finn, D McMillan (Mulhall 52), Corry; Kilduff (McMahon 52). Subs not used - Shortall, Creevy, Brennan