Derek O'Brien scored his first goal in senior football to earn Galway United a vital win and plunge UCD into further trouble in the relegation play-off position.

O'Brien, from Tralee, and the only Kerryman playing in the National League, collected a Ger Crossley pass to curl a superb shot from 25 yards into the far corner of Barry Ryan's net for the only goal on 74 minutes.

O'Brien may have scored the goal that won the game, but goalkeeper David Forde was Galway's real match-winner with three particularly good saves.

He first thwarted Robert McAuley when tipping over from the UCD midfielder in the first-half as the students, as they did against Shamrock Rovers the previous week, once again failed to create anything from a succession of corners.

A second save from a Ciaran Martyn volley on 58 minutes was superb, but perhaps the most vital stop of all came from Kevin Grogan seconds after Galway had taken the lead.

"To be brutally honest, that's the most disappointing result since I've been here," said UCD manager Martin Moran, whose side have now failed to win any of their last nine league games.

"We just can't score goals. The first goal was always going to win it.

"We had an open goal just before that and missed it. With Derry winning as well we are now in desperate trouble."

UCD: Ryan; Mahon, Delaney, McDonnell, McLoughlin; Martin, Martyn, Kavanagh, McAuley; Bennis, Fitzpatrick. Subs: Swan and Grogan for Fitzpatrick and Bennis (both 55 mins).

GALWAY UNITED: Forde; Crossley, Clery, Silke, Sheridan; Ryan, Murphy, O'Connor, O'Brien; Lavine, Keogh. Subs: Fortune for Ryan (80 mins), B Moran for O'Brien (85 mins).

Referee: A Kelly (Cork).