OFTEN mentioned by the critics as the two great examples of footballing artistry in the league these days, UCD and Shelbourne are reaping very different rewards for their attempts to play the beautiful game.

While Damien Richardson's side came to Belfield seeking to extend their unbeaten run to nine games, their hosts were hoping to chisel out their first win since the visit of Dundalk back in late October.

To their credit, UCD have stuck to their guns, but their lack of confidence was all too apparent from the early stages yesterday. For most of the game, the gulf between the two sides was somewhat akin to the difference between those who have a couple off their paintings hanging in the National Gallery and those who hawk their work across the roads on the railings of Merrion Square.

UCD were, as Theo Dunne readily conceded afterwards, nervous when in possession and ponderous when not. Richardson's most-pressing difficulty on the day was attempting to work out how his side were not leading game they had dominated through its opening phase at half-time.

While the home side's gameplan had been intended to focus on depriving Tony Sheridan of the space in which to work and looking to exploit the gaps left by Pascal Vaudequin's ventures forward, they managed neither.

Matters were not improved for the hosts by the continuing absence of Tony McDonnell from the centre of defence where Robert Griffin was, once again, forced to deputise, or by the enforced deployment of Jonathan Treacy and Mick O'Donnell in generally unfamiliar roles wide in midfield and up front respectively.

The resulting discomfort was visible from early on with Shelbourne easily winning the battle in a densely-crowded midfield, although they failed to convert this advantage into goals.

They did, however, hold the lead from the sixth minute when Sheridan's free kick towards Pat Scully at the right-hand post was all but ignored by the students' defence and the defender's header evaded Mick O'Byrne's attempt to clear off the line.

Given their command of the game early on, that should have been the first of several. However, Sheridan's quick thinking was not often matched by the accuracy of those around him.

All this would have been frustrating enough for the visiting supporters, but worse was to come when UCD finally strung a few passes together in the last minute of the half and then scored through O'Byrne's close-range header - their first attempt on goal in the match.

Suddenly, there was a suspicion that lady luck might be throwing her lot in with the locals.

Certainly Dunne, who said afterwards that "once we scored we felt we might hold them," thought so, but he was to be disappointed by a second half which started just as badly as the first had for his side.

This time, though, it took us four minutes before they found themselves behind. Costello buried the penalty that followed Declan Fitzgerald's shove on Vaudequin. Six minutes later it might have been ad three, but Sheridan's low drive from the edge of the area was disallowed because Pat Morley was judged to have been offside. Then, shortly after that, it was left to Kelly to keep his side in it with a brilliant, one-handed stop of the former Cork City man's close range header.

Despite switching to four at the back, and some tireless work by Jason Colwell and Ciaran Kavanagh in midfield, UCD simply couldn't wrest the initiative away from their visitors.

They might actually have stolen something out of the game if Aidan Lynch hadn't blundered terribly when put clear by O'Byrne, but their contribution was more fairly reflected when the scoring was rounded off at the other end. Sheridan waltzed past Kelly and belted the ball into the roof of the net after a neat chip by Stephen Geoghegan.