LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION:Cork City2 UCD 0

IT'S LOOKING like curtains for UCD at the bottom of the Premier Division, as theysuccumbed to early Cork City goals that decided a comfortable win for the Turner's Cross outfit last night.

Lawrie Dudfield grabbed an early tap-in that was added to by a Denis Behan penalty three minutes afterwards, his 10th strike of the year.

Alan Mathews's strained squad meant that a makeshift central midfield consisting of Liam Kearney and Darren Murphy played impressively in front of the equally makeshift pairing of captain Dan Murray and regular left back Danny Murphy.

An expectant home crowd had only to wait until the 13th minute before Lawrie Dudfield opened the scoring with an easy tap-in that owed more to the persistence of Dan Murray and Darren Murphy, who each scrambled the ball back into the danger area to allow the English striker to grab his second goal in three games.

With just 16 minutes on the clock, the expectation of a rout was raised when Dudfield was fouled in the box by UCD centre back Alan McNally, Denis Behan stepping up to slot home to Matt Gregg's left.

It was a stale enough event after the break with the struggling visitors prepared to take the game to their opponents although they didn't have a huge amount to show for their slight dominance of possession. There were two chances for Shane Duggan either side of the hour mark while substitute Gareth Cambridge and Denis Behan forced the goalkeeper into saves in the 74th and 83rd minutes.

CORK CITY:Devine; Horgan, Murray, Danny Murphy, Woods; O'Connor, Darren Murphy, Kearney (Kiely 66), Ryan; Dudfield (Cambridge 72), Behan.

UCD:Gregg; Mahon, McNally, C Kenna, Bermingham; Fitzgerald, King (Shorthall 87), Duggan (Bolger 80), Meenan; McWalter, Purcell (McMillan 89).

Referee:Neil Doyle (Dublin).