Shamrock Rovers' roller-coaster season continued at Belfield yesterday with a 2-0 defeat of UCD.

Mick Byrne's tactical changes after last week's FAI Cup defeat to Shelbourne worked wonders but UCD were unlucky not to get something from a game in which they hit the woodwork twice in the second half.

Rovers' early pressure paid off when they took the lead on 19 minutes after Tommy Dunne's cross was laid back via the head of Tony Cousins for Morrisroe to volley left-footed past Barry Ryan.

UCD should have drawn level but Robert Dunne missed a sitter after heading over from Mick O'Byrne's cross.

And O'Byrne could have had a hat-trick in the second half: his delightful lob came back off the underside of the crossbar after 64 minutes; Tony O'Dowd saved his close range volley a minute later and his header came off a post from McLoughlin's cross.

The end for UCD came four minutes from time after a mix-up between Ciaran Kavanagh and Eoin Bennis presented the ball to Morrisroe and he played Billy Woods through to score.

UCD: Ryan; McDonnell, Delaney, Lynch, Mahon; McLoughlin, Kavanagh, Martyn, Dunne; O'Byrne, Fitzpatrick. Subs: Bennis for McDonnell (44 mins), Kilmurray for Fitzpatrick (56 mins).

Shamrock Rovers: O'Dowd; Purdy, Brazil, Whelan, Dunne; Britton, Colwell, Palmer, Morrisroe; Cousins, Sherlock. Subs: Woods for Sherlock (half-time), Kenny for Morrisroe (88 mins).

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).