Darren Forsyth and David McAllister scored a brace of goals each as Shelbourne hammered Longford Town to keep their First Division title hopes alive.
Forsyth hit a spectacular 25-yarder to open the scoring in the 44th minute with McAllister finishing from close range in injury-time to give the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead.
McAllister volleyed home from the edge of the area to make it 3-0 early in the second half before headers from Forsyth and Robbie Hedderman ensured that Shels closed the gap on leaders Dundalk to five points.
Longford certainly didn’t come looking to sneak a point and set out their stall with an ambitious 4-3-3 formation. Robert Douglas, who was wearing the number three jersey, Jason Odalele and Darren McKenna led the line for the Midlanders.
Shels were the first to threaten on five minutes when striker Philip Gorman had two headed chances, with the fist one beating Longford ‘keeper Neil Gallagher before being cleared as it approached the line.
The Shelbourne number nine then had the ball in the net on eight minutes but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Town’s first chance came after 20 minutes when a poor clearance from a Gary Murphy cross fell to Daire Doyle who blazed his shot wide as the visitors began to settle.
A loose pass from Hedderman could have cost Shelbourne dearly with seven minutes to go to half-time, but his captain Damien Brennan saved the left-back’s blushes as he got back to deny Odalele.
The game fizzled out until the 44th minute when Forsyth put the hosts in front with one of the best goals seen at Tolka in a long time. The ball broke to the right of Town’s penalty area and there looked to be little danger until Forsyth raced on to it before unleashing a ferocious drive into the top corner from about 25 yards.
The home crowd were still celebrating his magnificent strike when the number ten had a chance to double his tally. He was denied by a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Stephen Brennan, but McAllister was following up and he applied the necessary finish to give his side a 2-0 advantage they scarcely deserved.
The second half was in its infancy when Shelbourne extended their lead. This time it was McAllister who provided the spectacular, sending a left-footed volley low and to the right of Gallagher which the Town stopper got a hand to but was unable to keep out.
The Reds were oozing confidence now and the fourth arrived when right-back Alan Murphy’s cross was met by the head of Forsyth who directed the ball back across goal and into the bottom corner.
Longford were understandably demoralised and when they failed to deal with a Mark Rutherford corner in the 66th minute, Hedderman took advantage by nodding home from inside the six-yard box.
Shels manager Dermot Keely was even afforded the luxury of introducing striker Anthony Flood for the first time since the striker was injured in a friendly against Leeds United on 23 July.
Longford battled to get on the scoresheet and home ‘keeper Dean Delaney did well to come out and block Odalele’s shot after the Town man had bypassed the home defence.
Douglas had an opportunity to reduce the deficit late on when Alan Keely made a mess of a header but he pulled his shot just wide and Odalele managed to put his effort in the same inaccurate spot when he was clean through.
Shelbourne: Delaney; Murphy, Keely, D Brennan, Hedderman; O’Brien (Chambers, 77 mins), McAllister (Keddy, 67), McGill, Rutherford; Gorman (Flood, 67), Forsyth.
Longford Town: Gallagher; Gough (Hardy, 72 mins), S Brennan, Frawley, Casey (O’Riordan, 18); Murphy, Rushe (Connolly, 53), Doyle, Casey; Douglas, Oladele, McKenna.
Referee: Sean Grant.
