UCD..................1
FINN HARPS.....1

RELEGATION threatened Finn Harps collected a valuable point from this contest against high flying UCD at Belfield.

Gavin Dykes' team got off to the perfect start when Shane Bradley broke the deadlock after just ten minutes, but College were level on 28 minutes through a Ciaran Martyn penalty.

Both sides had chances to win the game, with James Mulligan going close for the visitors on a number of occasions, while at the other end Ken Kilmurray and Glen Fitzpatrick squandered gilt-edged chances.

With fellow strugglers Waterford United and Galway United sharing the points on Saturday night and Sligo also drawing at home to St Pat's victory on Sunday would have moved Harps out of the bottom three.

Elsewhere, basement club Drogheda United conceded a late goal against Derry City at the Brandywell to lose more ground.

As promised, the Harps boss made a number of changes to the team which bowed out of the FAI Cup in embarrassing fashion at home to Galway United a week earlier.

Former Cockhill Celtic goalkeeper Gavin Cullen was preferred to Brian McKenna in goal; Shane Bradley came in for Dykes; Gerard McGranaghan replaced his name sake Patrick McGrenaghan in the middle of the park while centre-half Declan Boyle was relieved of the captaincy. The armband was taken over by Fergal Harkin who was returning from suspension.

In the days leading up to the game the Harps boss had indicated that he would play against the students but following the death of a friend overnight he admitted that he wasn't right mentally for the game.

Thankfully, the eleven Harps players who did take the field on Sunday afternoon did appear 'up for it' and they took the lead on 10 minutes albeit with a fortuitous goal.

A cross from the left by Harkin caused panic in the UCD defence and Robert McAuley's attempted clearance hit off the leg of Shane Bradley and flew into the net.

The visitors had all of the best attacking opportunities in the opening section of the game, particularly through Mulligan, who had a shot knocked out for a corner by Barry Ryan just after Harps took the lead.

However, just before the half hour mark College were awarded a penalty when referee Jimmy O'Neill penalised Boyle for pulling Kilmurray's shirt. Ciaran Martyn duly converted the spot kick despite Cullen diving to the correct side, his own right.

Ten minutes from time Clive Delaney was dismissed after a foul on substitute Kevin McHugh. The central defender had earlier been booked for a foul on Mulligan.

'That decision changed the whole course of the game as we were in charge at that stage. I thought it was a harsh decision,' UCD manager Martin Moran lamented afterwards.

Harps boss Gavin Dykes was happy with the effort his players showed after the disappointing cup exit at the hands of Galway.

'I didn't think that the penalty awarded against us was correct. You don't see decisions like that for jersey pulling awarded by many referees,' he said.

'At least it's still in our own hands. Overall I am disappointed with the result. On another day James Mulligan might have scored four goals. I'm happy though that, today at least, there was a little bit of honesty, a little bit of passion and the players came off the field, tired which they haven't done in recent weeks,' he added.

UCD: Ryan, McLaughlin, Delaney, McAuley, Mahon, Mooney, Kavanagh, Martyn, Martin, Fitzpatrick, Kilmurray. Sub: Bennis for Fitzpatrick (75 mins).

FINN HARPS: Cullen, Mohan, Minnock, Bradley, Boyle, Tierney, Kenny, McGranaghan, Mulligan, Turner, Harkin. Subs: P McGrenaghan for McGranaghan (63 mins) and McHugh for Turner (78 mins).

REFEREE: Mr J O'Neill (Waterford).