Champions Shamrock Rovers put bottom club Drogheda United to the sword with an utterly convincing performance at Hunky Dorys Park.
The 4-0 margin of victory in no way flattered the Hoops, for they dominated this game from start to finish as Gary Twigg plundered two more goals, and Ciaran Kilduff and Billy Dennehy weighed in with one apiece.
Drogheda played with a strong wind at their backs in the first half, and David Freeman tried to make it count inside two minutes with a shot that drifted harmlessly wide of the target.
But the champions looked menacing coming forward and they forced an early corner from which Ken Oman evaded his marker, only to head over the crossbar from eight yards out.
Then Drogheda keeper David Quirke misjudged the wind and needlessly sprinted from his goal to deal with a long ball towards the penalty area. He clattered into Ciaran Kilduff and was booked for his troubles.
Billy Dennehy couldn’t make anything of the resulting free kick, but a succession of shots at the Drogheda goal followed, three of them from Kilduff and two from Gary McCabe, with the latter forcing one save out of Quirke.
The home side were struggling to get out of their own half, despite the gale at their backs, and it was no surprise when Rovers went ahead on 28 minutes.
Dennehy swung in a cross from the right and the Drogheda defence were posted absent as Gary Twigg nodded past Quirke from six yards.
The Boynesiders’ goal led something of a charmed life over the next few minutes as Oman hooked to the net, only to have the strike chalked off for an offside decision, and then Kilduff miskicked after being put clean through on goal and the ball drifted wide.
Somehow Drogheda got through to half-time without conceding a second goal, but they had to face Hoops and the elements in the second 45 minutes.
Almost straight from the restart a rasping shot from Ronan Finn was deflected wide by Hungarian league debutant Robert Kovacsevics, but on the 50-minute mark the Hoops made almost sure of victory with their second goal.
McCabe’s stinging shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Quirke and Dennehy’s follow-up almost came back off the woodwork straight into the path of Kilduff who tapped in from close range.
Just six minutes later it was Twigg’s turn to enjoy a tap-in goal after captain Dan Murray had knocked Dennehy’s corner towards the six-yard area.
Such was Rovers’ dominance that Drogheda manager Mick Cooke had used all three of his substitutions inside the hour mark, and one of the incoming players, Jack Flynn, glanced a header wide of Alan Mannus’ goal from a cross by Brian Gannon.
But Rovers went further in front on 73 minutes when Dennehy blasted to the net from a cross by Pat Sullivan and the final whistle couldn’t come soon enough for Drogheda.
Drogheda United: 1 David Quirke; 2 Brian Gannon, 4 Robert Kovacsevics, 5 Gareth Whelan, 3 Philip Hand; 11 Colin O’Brien (17 Anthony Costigan 46min), 6 John Lester (18 Stephen McCrossan 46min), 8 Stephen Quigley, 7 Mark O’Brien (15 Jack Flynn 59min); 9 David Freeman, 10 Dinny Corcoran. Subs not used: 12 Sean Skelly, 14 Darragh Hanaphy, 16 Philip McDonagh, 13 Stephen Trimble.
Booked: Quirke (14min), M O’Brien (53min), Kovacsevics (54min).
Shamrock Rovers: 1 Alan Mannus; 2 Pat Sullivan, 5 Dan Murray, 17 Ken Oman (13 Pat Flynn 59min), 3 Enda Stevens; 7 Gary McCabe, 6 Stephen Rice, 21 Ronan Finn (22 Conor McCormack 78min), 20 Billy Dennehy; 9 Gary Twigg, 11 Ciaran Kilduff (10 Karl Sheppard 77min). Subs not used: 14 Dean Kelly, 15 Paddy Kavanagh, 19 Gary O’Neill, 16 Ryan Thompson.
Booked: Rice (74min).
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
