UCD did their hopes of Premier Division survival no harm when ending a four -match losing sequence with a comprehensive victory over an out-of-sorts Cork City at the Belfield Bowl.
The Students were a revelation with striker David McMillan the hero with two perfect strikes. College enjoyed a perfect start after just 35 seconds. A cross from the left by Sean Russell allowed Robbie Creevy to get in a shot blocked by defender Darren Dennehy but McMillan fired home the rebound from close range.
Dennehy blocked another Russell effort from the left on ten minutes with goalkeeper Mark McNulty beaten.
Cork had chances to equalise when a long-range effort by Daryl Horgan was saved by UCD goalkeeper Mark McGinley and then the unmarked Shane Duggan blazed over from eight yards.
Cork were to regret those missed chances when McMillan struck again on 53 minutes. Picking up a loose ball on the right side of midfield, the striker let fly with a spectacular effort from 35 yards into top left hand corner of the net for his 12th league goal of the season.
Danny Furlong had a chance to cut the deficit for Cork on 63 minutes but shot wide of the target. UCD made the points safe on 70 minutes when a corner by substitute Samir Belhout on the left was powerfully headed home from close range by central defender Hugh Douglas with the visitors' defence in disarray.
UCD: McGinley; Matthews, Douglas, O'Connor, Langtry; Burke (Belhout 65), Creevy, Benson (McCabe 81), Kavanagh, Russell; McMillan.
CORK CITY: McNulty; N.Horgan, Dennehy, Buckley, Murphy; D.Horgan (Turner 74), Duggan, Dunleavy, Morrissey; Kavanagh (Behan 67), Furlong.
Attendance: 170.
Referee: Adriano Reale (Kildare).
