Cork City moved top of the Premier Division table after this convincing win over 10-man Drogheda at United Park.
The Boynesiders recovered from the loss of an early Sean Maguire goal to get back on level terms, only to have Richie Purdy sent off for a straight red card and it was damage limitation after that for Pete Mahon's team.
Straight from the first whistle Cork took a firm grip of the game and after Sean Maguire had completely mis-kicked with the goal at his mercy in the third minute the striker put his next opportunity away with aplomb.
A corner kick was only partially cleared before being headed back towards goal and Maguire beat Drogs keeper Stephen McGuinness with a well-placed header from six yards.
Drogheda were stunned and could easily have conceded again soon after as Karl Sheppard had a shot blocked by the feet of Stephen McGuinness and Steven Beattie fired over the bar. But the home side survived and hauled themselves back level on 17 minutes.
From a corner Thomas Byrne swept his cross to the edge of the penalty area and McGuigan fired the ball low back into the six-yard area where Elliott's back-flick nestled in the Cork net.
Drogheda's celebrations had barely subsided, though, when they were reduced to 10 men, with Richie Purdy dismissed on a straight red card for a sliding challenge on Beattie.
That left the Boynesiders with a mountain to climb, and after surviving another Maguire effort they found themselves behind again on 41 minutes as Gearoid Morrissey stuck out a boot at the near post to deflect Beattie's corner kick past McGuinness.
For all that, in first-half stoppage time the Drogs nearly grabbed an unlikely equaliser as Hyland swivelled in the box and fired narrowly over McNulty's crossbar.
Cork heeded that little warning and within five minutes of the restart they doubled their advantage from another corner kick as Beattie's delivery was punched by McGuinness towards Sheppard who promptly fired straight to the net through a crowd of players from the edge of the box.
Sheppard was put through on goal three minutes later and this time McGuinness stuck out a boot to deflect the ball wide.
Cork boss John Caulfield replaced Maguire with Achille Campion short of the hour mark, while Drogheda boss Pete Mahon was forced into a change as their captain Luke Gallagher went off with what appeared to be a serious injury.
Campion should have put Cork out of sight shortly after coming on after being set up by the excellent Morrissey, but after stealing a yard on his marker he swept the ball narrowly wide of the upright.
The Leesiders were cruising at this stage and Drogheda were indebted to their keeper McGuinness again on 78 minutes when he saved well at the feet of Cork substitute Conor Ellis. But Ellis eventually got on the scoresheet deep into stoppage time to complete a convincing win.
Drogheda United: Stephen McGuinness, Colm Deasy, Luke Gallagher (Lloyd Buckley 62), Ciaran McGuigan, Stephen Dunne, Richie Purdy, Sean Thornton, Jake Hyland, Thomas Byrne (Shane Elworthy 55), Stephen Elliott (Gareth McCaffrey 71), Gavin Brennan.
Subs not used: Conor Kane, Marc Griffin, Ryan McEvoy, Dylan Sweeney.
Cork City: Mark McNulty, Conor McCormack, Alan Bennett, Ryan Delaney, Kevin O'Connor, Steven Beattie, Gearoid Morrissey, Greg Bolger, Garry Buckley, Karl Sheppard, Sean Maguire (Achille Campion 56).
Subs not used: Jimmy Keohane, Christian Nanetti, Rimvydas Sadauskas, Shane Griffin, Alan Smith.Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin)
