The retention of their title may be an unrealistic target considering they are nine points behind the leaders, but Bohemians must have the pacesetters looking nervously over their shoulders as they maintained their revival under Stephen Kenny with a sixth win from his seven games since taking charge.

Bohemians - 3 UCD - 0

A brisk opening to the game soon diluted into a midfield battle with chances at either end few and far between before the lead goal arrived three minutes before the break.

That might have been a different story if Bohemians' early effort had been rewarded with a goal.

Mick O'Donnell had to make a frantic clearance after Crowe sent Dave Morrison away down the left to get in a teasing cross on four minutes.

Dave Hill then rattled the visitors' crossbar on eight minutes when teeing up a superb volley after Trevor Molloy's corner was cleared to him.

Long range shots from Kevin Hunt and Molloy were wide as the game died until Glen Crowe's timely intervention on 42 minutes.

A flowing move down the right resulted in Fergal Harkin's cross being flicked on by Stephen Caffrey for Crowe to casually shoot home at the back post.

Trevor Molloy made it an up hill task for UCD with Bohemians' second strike 10 minutes after the interval.

The former underage intenational went on a solo run down the right before cutting inside a defender and finding the net with a low shot courtesy of a deflection off Richie Purdy.

O'Donnell almost got UCD back into the match soon after but his miscued shot came back off a post after good work by Darragh Ryan down the left.

But there was ever only going to be one winner and Bohemians made sure of the three points two minutes from time when Dave Morrison headed home Simon Webb's corner.

Bohemians: Russell; Shelley, Hawkins, Hill (O'Connor 83), S. Webb; Harkin (Ryan 73), Hunt, Caffrey, Morrison; Crowe (Folan 88), Molloy.

UCD: Ryan; Quinn, Delaney, Purdy, D. Ryan; Martin, Doolin, McNally, O'Donnell; Grogan, R. Martin (Gallen 63).

Referee: D. McKeon (Dublin).