SOCCER: St Patricks Ath - 0 UCD - 0: UCD's chances of Premier Division survival are still hanging by the proverbial thread.

The students needed to beat St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park last night to give themselves some breathing space over bottom club Derry City but it just did not happen.

The students tried their best but they came up against a stubborn St Patrick's outfit whose season has really been something of a disappointment.

Scoring chances were limited in the extreme and neither side could be said to have had more than one clear-cut chance of winning the match, though in the first half Robert Griffin and Robert Martin went very close with headers for UCD.

Martin's chance, which came just one minute before half-time, followed some clever play by a hard-working UCD side.

Darragh Ryan took a short corner to full back Pat Sullivan and when his cross came into the St Patrick's penalty area Martin was unfortunate to be just off target with his header.

Indeed in the early stages the busiest man on the field was referee Declan Hanney. In the first 17 minutes he had booked three players and had sent St Patrick's Karim El Khebyr for an early shower.

The St Patrick's defender could have had few complaints as he was a little late in his tackle on Robert McAuley and he paid the ultimate price.

Ten-man St Patrick's Athletic, however, did not appear to be affected in the slightest by the loss of one of their star defenders and they kept their lines intact to great effect.

In fact they might well have won the match in the 71st minute when Tony Bird laid off a great ball to Barry Prenderville and the full back unleashed a cracking shot that just shaved the goal post.

UCD's best effort came almost on the close of play when Martin should have got the points for the Belfield outfit when he was put through by Alan Gallen but from only a few yards' range he lofted the ball over the bar.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson, Donnelly, Delaney, Maguire, Foy, McPhee, El Khebyr, Prenderville, Dunne. Bird, Rose, Subs: O'Keeffe for Rose (73 mins); Murphy for McPhee (79 mins).

UCD: Jennings, Sullivan, McNally, McAuley, Davey, John Martin, Whelan, Griffin, Ryan, Robert Martin, Rooney. Sub: Gallen for John Martin 75 mins.

Referee: D Hanney (Dublin)