UCD - 1 Bohemians - 3: Two sublimely executed goals from Fergal Harkin kept Bohemians' tenuous hopes of European football next season alive as they moved back into fourth place in the table after this pulsating encounter at Belfield.
Bohemians scarcely missed the composure of their suspended player/manager Gareth Farrelly. With their captain Kevin Hunt back in a holding midfield role and John Paul Kelly making things happen, there was a vibrancy about the visitors from the start.
Kelly, Aidan O'Keeffe and Fergal Harkin all had shots narrowly off target inside the opening eight minutes, as if to signal their intent as UCD were sluggish in getting into the match.
Ironically, UCD fell behind on 25 minutes despite having come alive with Damien Dupuy and Anthony Murphy both having half chances.
Kelly was the instigator with a surging run from midfield. Tony Grant collected the pass to lay the ball off for the inrushing Harkin whose low drive beat Darren Quigley at his near post.
Brave defending, with bodies thrown in the way of stinging goal bound shots from Stephen Hurley and Patrick McWalter, kept Bohemians in front and they broke away to add a second goal on 38 minutes.
Again UCD can't have been happy with their defending. Harkin's deep cross from the end line on the right picked out the negligently marked O'Keeffe at the back post and his shot drilled through the legs of a disappointed Quigley.
If partially culpable for both goals, Quigley, who somehow got away with a two-footed lunge on Stephen Ward early in the second half, redeemed himself to keep UCD in the match with a brave save at the feet of the Grant who had been sublimely played through by Kelly.
McWalter volleyed a goal back for UCD as Bohemians failed to properly clear a Stephen Hurley free-kick on 74 minutes.
But Kelly and Harkin combined to seal the win on 82 minutes.
Racing onto Kelly's pass, Harkin nonchalantly cut past two defenders before drilling his shot under Quigley.
UCD: Quigley; Gannon, McDonnell, Kenna, O'Donnell; Murphy (D Doyle, 65 mins.), Hurley, Dicker, McWalter; Dupuy, Martin (C Byrne, 67 mins.).
BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Rice, Oman, Collins, Keddy; Harkin, Kelly, Hunt, O'Keeffe; Ward, Grant (Dunphy, 90 mins.).
Referee: H Whoriskey (Meath).
