First-half goals from Aidan O'Keeffe and Tony Grant saw holders Drogheda strengthen their position in Group A of the Setanta Cup with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Glentoran.
O'Keeffe, who grabbed the winner at the Oval last week, netted after 30 minutes to heap more misery on the Glens, who then had Jason Hill sent off for two bookable offences.
Grant then volleyed his first competitive goal for the Drogs on the stroke of half time. The Drogs made six changes from the side that won in Galway last Friday, and they struggled to make an impact initially as Michael Halliday headed an early Glentoran chance wide from six yards.
However, the eircom League side picked up their game and created three chances in as many minutes. Tony Grant, Simon Webb both missed the target, and then Glens keeper Elliott Morris saved bravely at the feet of Eamon Zayed.
Morris then flung himself to his right to push Stuart Byrne’s deflected shot round the post, before stopping Brian Shelley’s header on the line.
However, the deadlock was broken on the half-hour when Byrne squared the ball into the path of Aidan O'Keeffe who steered the ball past Morris from the edge of the box.
It got worse for Glentoran when Jason Hill tripped Eamon Zayed twice in the space of five minutes and received two bookings, followed by the inevitable red, and Drogheda grabbed the second goal they deserved on the stroke of half time when Zayed knocked the ball down into the path of Grant who volleyed past Morris from just inside the box.
It was almost one-way traffic towards the Glens goal after the break. Robinson's thunderbolt flew narrowly wide and the Drogheda winger then looped a header off the Glens' crossbar.
However, Halliday should have got Glens back into it on 67 minutes when he headed wide from eight yards after being set up by Gary Hamilton, and Hamilton then forced a fine save from Drogheda keeper Mikko Vilmunen.
