CLONTARF encountered stern resistance against the home UCD side on a cold afternoon at Belfield yesterday. Overnight frost had meant that this game was still very much in doubt right up until kick-off with the game delayed by over 15 minutes.

Clontarf, who were hoping to consolidate their second place position, got off to the better start and went in front after nine minutes.

UCD had lost possession close to the halfway mark after Clontarf centre Breffni O'Donnell had put in a crunching tackle.

And from the broken play Phillip Purdue raced unopposed under the posts.

Darragh O'Shea converted that try but just short of the quarter hour, Eoghan Hickey landed a penalty from just inside the Clontarf half. UCD then went in front on 24 minutes when hooker Conor Geoghegan took a short pass to score to the left of the posts.

Hickey , although unsuccessful with the conversion, put over a penalty shortly afterwards to put UCD 11-7 up at the break.

Clontarf, however, bounced right back in the second half with a penalty and drop-goal from O'Shea restoring their lead with 66 minutes gone in the game.

UCD went back in front with their next attack through replacement hooker David Blaney.

But Clontarf then scored a try in the corner from Derek Keane with O'Shea making the conversion from the touchline.

UCD R McCarron; S Grif"ng, K Kennedy, N Kearns, F McFadden; E Hickey, K Willis; B Hall, C Geoghegan, K Doyle, K McLoughlin, C McInerney, S Crawford, L Burke, K Croke Subs J Moroney for Willis, 40+4 mins; D Blaney for Geoghegan, 48 mins; S O'Broen for Burke, 56 mins

CLONTARF D O'Shea; N O'Brien, M Hewitt, B O'Donnell, D Keane; P O'Brien, F O'Loughlin; K Dorian, N Carson, R Sweeney, A Trenier, A Woods, D French, J Ellison, P Purdue Subs K O Dowd for O'Loughlin, h-t; D O'Brien for ffrench, 53 mins; J Downey for O'Donnell, 70 mins; P Whately for Carson, 78 min; A O'Donnell for Sweeney, 79 mins Referee A McKay (IRFU)