TWO goals up after 12 minutes, UCD were the sharper and more resourceful side as they finished comfortable winners in the men's hockey Colours match at Belfield yesterday. Probably Trinity will also be left to chase them home in the promotion run-in in the second division of the Leinster League.

UCD were particularly strong through the middle where their accomplished captain Owen Butler forced the pace. Indeed, his combination with Spanish under-21 international Xavi Bou-Torrent put the Trinity defence under severe pressure.

Showing more urgency from the start, UCD seized the initiative and took their chances. Teddy Lynch fired in the opening goal when the ball bounced invitingly in the circle and Paul Fitzroy dextrously netted the second following a short corner.

The margin was increased after 20 minutes when a free by Butler was deflected to the target by Bou-Torrent with some panache. At this stage, Trinity roused themselves, notably for Robert Tilson to shoot narrowly wide while Jason Milne was foiled by a valuable clearance from Gavin Miller.

UCD returned largely to the offensive in the second half but Crawford Deane remained defiant in the Trinity goal and Michael Brett halted Bou-Torrent in full spate. Renewed effort by Stephen Bredin for Trinity yielded a penalty stroke, which Tilson converted. However, this only spurred UCD into a further surge, culminating in a finely-taken Stephen Jones goal.

Monkstown upset the odds in the Leinster first division by beating Pembroke Wanderers 2-1 at Rathdown last evening. Alan Kershaw set up his brother Simon to give Pembroke the lead but Monkstown hit back through Justin Sherriff and David Jenkins. Subsequently, Glenn Bailey coped valuably with the threat from corners.