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 the game.

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

The visitors were much the better side in the first half, with chances falling to Darragh Markey, Freddie Draper and Dylan Grimes as UCD had to defend stoutly.

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

Jack 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 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, played in by Rooney, but swept his shot wide.

The breakthrough arrived with influential Rooney the architect. 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 - Moore; O’Brien, Keaney, Osam (Izekor, 85);

Gallagher (Norris, 68), Wells, Barr (Kinsella-Bishop, 77), Dignam (Higgins, 77); Keane; Behan, Nolan (O’Connor, 85).

Drogheda United - McCabe; Ahui, Adegboyega, Keeley, Weir; Deegan, R. Brennan; Grimes (Noone, 87), Markey, Rooney; Draper.

Referee - Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork).