Dundalk regained the EA Sports Cup with a thrilling 3-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
David McMillan put the Lilywhites ahead with a header after five minutes before Patrick McEleney and substitute Thomas Stewart added gloss to the scoreline late on after Aaron Bolger saw red for Rovers.
It a re-run of the line-up that contested the 2014 at Oriel Park, which Dundalk also won, and as on that occasion, the Lilywhites took an early lead.
A breathless first half had barely gotten going when the sublime McMillan wheeled away in celebration, having given Stephen Kenny's side the lead.
Michael Duffy's corner from the right was met by an unmarked McMillan, and his bullet header beat Simon Madden on the line, despite the full-back valiant attempt to deflect it onto the crossbar.
It was a disastrous start for hosts, who appeared to have sorted out their set-piece weakness in recent months only to be ruthlessly exposed with Dundalk's first corner of the game.
The Hoops came roaring back into it with Trevor Clarke, of whom big things are expected, living up to his reputation with a pair of fearsome crosses from the left.
The first saw him skin Sean Gannon and put in a low ball that was somehow missed by all three arriving players, while the second led to a corner that saw Dave Webster volley over.
Dundalk were finding joy down their own left and, after Duffy had twice put Shane Grimes free, the full-back forced a good low stop from Tomer Chencinski.
In an astonishingly open half, Benson should have done more to force Chencinski into action from McMillan's pull-back, while Clarke drove wide after his teammates were slow to support him on the break.
A rush of blood from Chencinski had his team on the ropes moments later as he raced out and failed to claim the ball from Duffy following McMillan's defence-splitting pass, but again the end-product was just slightly lacking from the visitors.
It may have proven costly ten minutes from the break as Webster came within the width of the post of equalising, squatting and heading Miele's corner into the near post, and Dave McAllister was unable to get to the rebound.
McMillan came close to his second when he steered McEleney's cross into the side-netting before Duffy skipped through two challenges before forcing a low stop from the Israeli-Canadian keeper Chencinski.
The quality didn't let up as the first half drew to a close and McAllister drew gasps with a spetacular effort a minute from time, connecting with an overhead kick from Finn's header that ran inches past the post.
The second half continued at the same frenetic pace but, with legs tiring, the quality was bound to flag as the clock wound down.
Things got more difficult for Rovers with 25 minutes remaining as midfielder Aaron Bolger – who had starred until then – was sent off for a second yellow after following through on Vemmelund.
The Lilywhites made the extra man count with nine minutes left as McEleney strolled into the box unopposed and curled his shot wonderfully in off the post.
Former Rovers striker Tommy Stewart added insult to injury in added time, seconds after replacing man-of-the-match McMillan, as he placed a one-on-one opportunity past Chencinski.
Shamrock Rovers: Tomer Chencinski; Simon Madden, Roberto Lopes, David Webster, Trevor Clarke; David McAllister (James Doona 85), Aaron Bolger, Ronan Finn, Ryan Connolly (Cameron King 56), Brandon Miele; Michael O'Connor (Gary Shaw 69).
Dundalk: Gabriele Sava; Sean Gannon, Sean Hoare, Niclas Vemmelund, Shane Grimes; Chris Shields, Robbie Benson, Patrick McEleney (Stephen O'Donnell 90), Jamie McGrath (Steven Kinsella 88), Michael Duffy; David McMillan (Thomas Stewart 90+2).
Referee: Derek Tomney
