UCD got their league season off to a decent start as they grabbed a deserved point at Belfield, with Shane O’Donnell’s last-minute drag-flick levelled the tie for the third – and most decisive – time and their young midfield of Luke Chadwick and Conor Motyer showing they have plenty to offer in the season ahead.

UCD 3 (Luke Chadwick, Rob Anderson, Shane O’Donnell) Three Rock Rovers 3 (Patrick Shanahan, Peter McConnell, Peter Blakeney)

The game started a frantic pace a sign of how UCD might be playing this year as they gave Three Rock no time on the ball and within five minutes, Luke Chadwick had wormed his way down the left end-line and squeezed in at the near post causing great celebrations in the crowd.

The balance of play and posession stayed with UCD for the remainder of te first half but of Three Rock 3 circle entries 2 of them were scored. Patrick Shanahan’s topped reverse making it 1-1 before Peter McConnell scored a corner goal and that was the way it stayed till half time.

UCD continued to attack Rovers for most of the second half but found it difficult to penitrate the Rovers as they ped 11 men within the 25.

But a frantic closing ten minutes saw the students the happier at full-time. Rob Anderson scored amid a goal-mouth scramble for 2-2 only for Peter Blakeney to cause college heart ache from a set-piece a minute or two later. O’Donnell, though, had the last gasp as he fired a drag flick into the bottom corner to give UCD a point from their first game.

UCD now start a very busy period on Tuesday as they play 7 matches in 8 days as they play two important league games against YMCA on Tuesday the 19th and Railway Union on Saturday the 23rd a day before they open their hosting of the Intervarsities Championships against Dublin University on Sunday.