According to the home side's manager beforehand the only bad result for Bohemians last night would be a draw. Around Dalymount, insists Roddy Collins, nobody cares much for the fleeting kudos that come with getting the club's name on the cup again. Pity he didn't tell his players.

Three times they fought their way back from behind against UCD last night as they scrapped their way through the closing stages of a ferociously passionate cup tie.

And late on they found themselves defending as if their lives depended on it against a side pressing for a win as if it mattered no less.

There had been a bit of needle in this tie virtually from the moment the clubs' names came out of the hat one after the other last month. First there was Collins taunting Martin Moran about his comments that the students were capable of winning the competition. Then there was the prospective return to Dalymount of a couple of players who doubtless felt they had a point to prove.

As it happened, Peter Hanrahan was stretchered out of the contest early on after an off-the-ball collision, but Brian Mooney certainly played his part in an outstanding performance by the visitors.

But then there were half a dozen others who might have claimed they'd done just as well.

Open and exciting from the start, the match became compelling over the closing 20 minutes. After Mick O'Byrne had scored his second of the night to put the visitors in front again, Robbie Brunton beat a heavily overmanned offside trap to pull the locals level for the third time.

Not for the first time there was the suspicion that Bohemians would finally get a firmer grip on things. Instead, a quite brilliant Barry Ryan save apart, it was the students who went closest to winning it. Their best chance came, almost bizarrely, from an overhead kick from giant central defender Clive Delaney.

Had the shot gone in instead of coming back off the crossbar it might actually have done it, but it was always going to be difficult to top the first half's goals, any one of which would have made the night out worthwhile.

That UCD had twice managed to take the lead against a Bohemians side that had enjoyed the better run of the play had been surprising enough, but not nearly so remarkable as the quality of either side's finishing.

Mooney got the show on the road, marking his latest appearance back at his old home by opening the scoring spectacularly with a fierce drive from the right.

But after Ray Kelly replied with a more delicate effort on the quarter hour, it did seem that the home side might begin to get on top.

They certainly had a couple of chances to poke their noses in front, the best of them falling to Eoin Mullen, whose neat exchange of passes with Glen Crowe just needed an equally tidy finish to see it home from eight yards out.

After Robbie Brunton had gone agonisingly close to restoring UCD's lead with a mis-timed but, fortunately, also misplaced back pass, and Mick O'Byrne had scored anyway from the resulting corner kick, Mullen got his chance to make amends.

More of a half chance, really, but he didn't half take it well.

For the second time it was a long, curling Pascal Vaudequin cross from the right that set up the chance, but this time there was nothing subtle about the strike, the timing of the volley was perfect, the placement just as good.

BOHEMIANS: Dempsey; Vaudequin, Caffrey, John, Brunton; Byrne, Hunt, Doyle, Mullen; Crowe, Kelly. Subs: Swan, O'Driscoll and G O'Connor for Crowe, Doyle and Mullen (55 mins).

UCD: Ryan; McLoughlin, Mahon, Delaney, McAuley; Mooney, Kavanagh, Martyn, Martin; O'Byrne, Hanrahan. Subs: Fitzpatrick for Hanrahan (18 mins).

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).