FROM THE size of the crowd it was clear that there, were many who had felt that the league campaign was all over for Bohemians even before UCD arrived at Dalymount last night.

Some dogged play by the home side, a couple of bad slip ups by the visitors and a suspect looking penalty later, though, and Turlough O'Connor's side had kept themselves in what is now a two way hunt for the championship.

The draw with rivals St Patrick's Athletic on Monday may, have done little to boost confidence about the home side's chances of coming out on top of that duel but it did mean that there could be no effort spared in the pursuit of the three points this time out. While there were times when what went on wasn't pretty there rarely seemed to be any serious doubt about the eventual outcome.

Without the injured Maurice O'Driscoll in midfield the side underwent considerable reorganisation with Brian Mooney switching to the left, Peter Hanrahan finding himself out wide on the right and Tommy Byrne switching to right full. ,

But even that formation didn't last long as Mick Moody was helped from the pitch after 25 minutes and it was another case of "Ball change" for the locals.

The centre half's departure, after a 19th minute clash with Mick O'Byrne, ended what had in fact, been an uncomfortable period for the Gypsies as they struggled to settle at the back and failed to make an impression around their opponents' area.

Padraig Dully might have done better in the 18th minute when Eamon McLoughlin headed directly into his path but his first touch deserted him and a minute later the UCD full back was to make amends by scooping the ball out of Derek Swan's path well inside the box.

That aside, however, the students earned themselves a good deal of possession in midfield and Griffin squandered one chance to open the scoring in the second minute when he headed tamely at Dave Henderson. He went very close five minutes later when he successfully lobbed the out coming keeper only to see the ball spin wide off the crossbar.

With Kevin Brady taking over from Moody and Tony O Connor moving into the back four, though, Bohemians actually began to gain a firmer grip on things and when UCD keeper Seamus Kelly made the first of several blunders in the 37th minute Brady's shot was enough, even without an attempted flick by Swan, to see the ball into the bottom left corner.

Tony Cousins might have made it two with a solid long range shot but in any event the second wasn't long in coming. In the 45th minute Robbie Best fed Dully who sent Swan clear and from just the sort of position in which Griffin had missed the experienced striker gave a lesson in finishing.

Within a minute UCD had pulled one back as Jonathan Treacy's free on the left was headed past Henderson by Terry Palmer but another injury time goal restored the home side's lead with Tommy Byrne slotting the ball low to the right from the spot after Jason Colwell was adjudged to have taken Dully down.

By that point the students had already done themselves justice but they hardly ever threatened to steal their way back into things through the second period.

Griffin did have his best chance of the night when Tony McDonnell put him clean through but the midfielder chipped over.