Emmanuel Adegboyega proved a match winner with his first senior goal as Drogheda United maintained their bright start to the season with victory at the UCD Bowl.

The 19-year-old centre-back met Dayle Rooney's 73rd minute free kick to glance a header to the far corner of the net for the only goal of an eventful game.

Drogheda move up to fourth in the table on eight points, five more than they had after five games last year, as UCD remain bottom.

The Boynesiders got the game's first sight of goal after four minutes, Darragh scooping his volley over the top from Rooney’s cross.

Markey and Freddie Draper saw chances before frantic defending in the home area thwarted the visitors on 23 minutes.

Rooney worked a trick on the left to whip a low cross to the near post for the run of Dylan Grimes.

Alert to the danger, Evan Osam got across to nick the ball off the midfielder’s toe.

It was 26 minutes before UCD threatened for the first time, Ciaran Behan teeing up Brendan Barr whose shot was blocked by a blanket Drogheda defence.

Much the better side, Drogheda then carved UCD open on 34 minutes.

Ryan Brennan’s tenacity won the ball with Grimes and Markey linking well for the latter to put Draper in down the inside right channel.

The finish was all that was lacking as the 18-year-old striker’s drive flashed just over the crossbar.

The chance of the first half then arrived five minutes before the interval when Markey pounced on a slip by College defender Harvey O’Brien.

Skipper Jack Keaney rescued the situation with a terrific tackle on the Drogs midfielder whose shot he deflected out for a corner.

With more purpose to their game from the restart, UCD finally worked Colin McCabe in the Drogheda goal nine minutes.

Keaney and Adam Wells set up Mark Dignam whose low drive McCabe got down well to grasp.

Drogheda responded with Draper just failing to get the final touch following a surging run and cross from energetic Rooney on 62 minutes.

Keaney was there yet again to block a shot from Markey as Drogheda regained the initiative.

Grimes looked set to break the deadlock on 67 minutes, when played in by Rooney, but swept his shot wide.

The breakthrough finally arrived with the influential Rooney the architect when his superbly flighted free kick was met by Adegboyega.

McCabe still needed to make the save of the game to secure all three points when going full stretch to his left to push a free kick from Keaney out for a corner.

UCD: Kian Moore; Harvey O’Brien, Jacke Keaney, Evan Osam (Divine Izekor 85); Michael Gallagher (Danny Norris 68), Adam Wells, Brendan Barr (Kinsella-Bishop 77), Mark Dignam (Donal Higgins, 77); Dara Keane; Ciaran Behan, Alex Nolan (Harry O’Connor 85).

Drogheda United: Colin McCabe; Elicha Ahui, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Conor Keeley, Evan Weir; Gary Deegan, Ryan Brennan; Dylan Grimes (Darragh Noone 87), Darragh Markey, Dayle Rooney; Freddie Draper.

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork).