Derry City's sensational decline continued at the Brandywell yesterday when UCD compounded the north-west side's woes with a deliberate smash and grab performance.

But, that said, UCD defended stubbornly in numbers and having broken the deadlock following an early defensive error, they ended the game as a contest two minutes from the end.

After just three minutes, Derry skipper Peter Hutton failed to intercept a loose ball and when Darragh Ryan headed it into Ciaran Martyn's path, he deftly touched the ball wide of the advancing David Platt in the home goal.

The home side dominated proceedings afterwards, but they failed dismally to break the Dubliners' rearguard and gutsy action.

Derry continued to huff and puff after the break but, as was the case in the first-half, the absence of the suspended Liam Coyle saw them suffer in the final third of the field and they could not make any substantial inroads.

Disaster for the Derrymen struck two minutes from the end when Tony McDonnell and John Martyn combined before the latter played a perfect pass into the unmarked Ken Kilmurray and he gleefully drove the ball home from 12 yards.

Derry City: Platt; Doherty, Hutton, Kelly, Hargan, Moran, Hegarty, Quigley, McIvor, McCaul, Beckett. Subs: Gallagher for McIvor (65 mins), Gilmour for McCaul (70 mins).

UCD: B Ryan; McDonnell, Lynch, Delaney, Mahon, Martin, Martyn, Kavanagh, D Ryan, Bennis, Kilmurray. Subs: Dunne for D Ryan (74 mins), Fitzpatrick for Bennis (86 mins), Noonan for Kilmurray (89 mins).

Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).