Shamrock Rovers easily account for UCD to go top of the table

Shamrock Rovers went top of the table for the first time this season after their comprehensive 3-0 win at the UCD Bowl was coupled with ten man Bohemians' loss at home 1-0 to Derry City.

The Hoops made it 14 consecutive league wins over the Students, thanks to goals from Trevor Clarke, Aaron Greene and an own goal from Adam Wells. Rovers’ win was their fifth in a row, to go with five consecutive wins away from home without conceding a goal, and our showing the type of form has won them the last three league titles.

With Jack Byrne not part of Rovers’ squad, the set-pieces were left to Markus Poom. The Estonian international delivered five first half corners into the UCD box that caused the hosts plenty of difficulties. Johnny Kenny, Sean Hoare and Pico Lopes all had headers that directed Poom's deliveries goalwards but they couldn’t truly trouble Kian Moore in the UCD goal.

From distance Graham Burke forced Moore into a save, with Kenny almost capitalising when the Students netminder didn’t take it cleanly. Ciaran Behan’s barnstorming run from his own half saw Rovers back peddling furiously but UCD couldn’t fashion a goal scoring chance.

The Hoops looked to go long at times hitting a number of long diagonals to Trevor Clarke on the left but when the opening goal came it was from a great run from deep by Clarke on 16 minutes. He scored his fourth goal in five games taking the ball up from the halfway line, ghosting by Luke O'Regan, playing a one-two with Graham Burke, before slotting it home with his left inside the area.

Burke, Greene and Ronan Finn all went close with shots as Rovers moved the ball quickly in front of the UCD back four but their best chance to add to their score before the break came to Sean Hoare off a Poom