Drogheda United snap winless run against struggling UCD

An audacious opening goal of the night from Ryan Brennan was the highlight as Drogheda United cruised to victory at the UCD Bowl.

Conor Keeley and Adam Foley added further strikes to give Drogheda their first win in four games and complete a hat-trick of victories over the Students.

The win also moves Kevin Doherty's side above Sligo Rovers into seventh place, and five points clear of Cork City in the relegation play-off place ahead of their trip to Sligo on Saturday night.

Barring a miracle, UCD look doomed as Andy Myler's side remain 14 points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Among three changes from their 4-0 loss to Shelbourne last week, College gave a debut to new signing Éanna Clancy who played on the right of a back three in a change of formation by boss Myler.

And the Students started positively, pinning Drogheda in early on to force the first corner of the game.

Jake Doyle then volleyed wide to register the game’s opening shot in anger.

Unchanged from their impressive 0-0 draw with champions Shamrock Rovers last week, the visitors were slow to settle, but they came alive on 15 minutes to mine the first promising opening of the game.

Evan Weir got forward from left-back to thread a ball through for the run of Brennan, but UCD skipper Jack Keaney got across promptly to avert the danger as Brennan was about to pull the trigger.

It was a mere reprieve as a now dominant Drogheda carved the home side open to take the lead four minutes later.

Right-back Luke Heeney’s ball down the right found Adam Foley in acres of space. The cross was arrowed in low to the near post where Brennan, playing centre-forward since Freddie Draper’s departure, scored with a delightful reverse flick with his right foot for his third goal of the