Aidan Keena netted a hat-trick as Sligo Rovers continued their fine early season form with a win over Finn Harps at the Showgrounds.
Keena netted twice in the opening half and added the gloss to a wonderful individual performance when he netted his third of the night early in the second period.
Harps did grab a late consolation goal courtesy of Luke Rudden, but it was too little too late for the Donegal side.
In search of their first win of the season, Harps contested this north west derby with plenty of endeavour.
Ryan Rainey skied an early set piece on a soggy surface, while the same man teed up Ryan Connolly shortly after, but the former Rovers man saw his shot deflected away by a Sligo defender.
But the home side showed how it's done when they hit the lead on 13 minutes.
Will Fitzgerald’s neat flick finding Keena who launched the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Undeterred, Ollie Horgan’s charges continued to bring it to their opponents and set up two scorable opportunities.
Filip Mihalijevic headed wide from relatively close range, while Barry McNamee snatched at his shot from the angle after he found himself in space.
Keena turned on the magic once more before the interval. The Mullingar man bringing Karl O’Sullivan’s driven cross under control before sharply striking home on the turn.
The second period was just three minutes old when Keena had his third. Running on to Niall Morahan's volleyed ball over the top, the in-form striker blasted past Mark McGinley with aplomb for his fifth goal of the year.
Keena should have had his and Rovers’ fourth just short of the hour but he mis-queued in front of the posts with the goal at his mercy.
Nando Pijnaker scuppered a free header from an O’Sullivan set piece from the right on 72 as Sligo looked to further twist the knife. While McGinley did well to smother the ball at the feet of O’Sullivan as the once Harps wide man attempted to round his former team mate.
McGinley denied Jordan Hamilton his first Showgrounds goal ten minutes from when he saved well from the Canadian international.
The Donegal side gave their opponents a late scare when Rudden netted from 20 yards after a Harps corner was only cleared as far as the edge of the Sligo area.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Colm Horgan, Shane Blaney, Nando Pijnaker, Robbie McCourt; Niall Morahan, Adam McDonnell; Karl O’Sullivan (Paddy Kirk 79), Will Fitzgerald (Mark Byrne 74); Jordan Hamilton (Seamas Keogh 87), Aidan Keena (Max Mata 74).
Finn Harps: Mark McGinley; David Webster, Conor Tourish, Jose Carrillo (Erol Alkan 62); Ethan Boyle, Barry McNamee (Luke Rudden 79); Elie N’Zeyi, Ryan Rainey (Yoyo Mahdy 62), Ryan Connolly (Bastien Hery 62); Eric McWoods (Mark Timlin HT); Filip Mihaljevic.
Referee: Ben Connolly.
Attendance: 2,634
