Sean Boyd proved spot on with a brace of goals from penalties as Shelbourne ended their drought of 11 league games without a win in some style at Tolka Park, thrashing Drogheda United 6-0.
Their biggest victory of the year in their final home match of the season was just the tonic for Damien Duff's FAI Cup finalists.
With Ruaidhri Higgins, manager of cup final opponents Derry City, a very interested spectator, the game began at a frantic pace as both sides got the ball forward early at every opportunity.
But it was Shelbourne who were the far more direct, punishing a goalkeeping slip to deliver their lead in the eighth minute.
JJ Lunney cleverly found Matty Smith in a pocket of space to get turned to rifle in a shot that Colin McCabe clumsily allowed to squirm through his hands and out for a corner.
Shane Farrell’s ball was nodded down by Stephan Negru to Jack Moylan loitering with full intent at the back stick to sweep the ball home for his seventh league goal of the season.
Brimming with confidence now, Shelbourne doubled their lead seven minutes later.
Again the skilful Moylan was instrumental, slipping John Ross Wilson in down the inside right channel. The wingback then finished with some aplomb, drilling a crisp right-foot drive past McCabe.
With Drogheda reeling now, they found themselves 3-0 down within a further seven minutes.
Gavin Molloy went to ground inside the area from Lunney’s dinked free kick with referee Mark Moynihan pointing to the spot.
Boyd, back from a two-match suspension, sent McCabe the wrong way to score emphatically from 12 yards.
The big Reds striker had only another 10 minutes to wait to increase rampant Shelbourne’s lead.
Farrell’s superb diagonal ball looked to have put Smith in behind as the retreating Dylan Grimes bundled him over inside the area.
Once again Moynihan had little hesitation in giving the penalty.
Boyd did the needful, once more sending McCabe the wrong way from the spot, the sixth penalty of his 11 league strikes this campaign.
Drogheda’s goal remained under siege with McCabe tipping over from Farrell before getting down well to his left to turn a Molloy’s volley round a post.
Farrell should have added a fifth goal six minutes after the start but side-footed wide with only McCabe to beat after Moylan had the vision to play him in.
It duly arrived, though, on 63 minutes. Kameron Ledwidge’s cross was merely cut out by Keith Cowan straight to Smith who powered a shot to the net.
Substitute Aodh Dervin completed the rout on 88 minutes, scoring with a deflected shot from the edge of the area for his first goal for the club.
Shelbourne: Brendan Clarke; Stephan Negru, Luke Byrne (Kameron Ledwidge h-t), Shane Griffin; JJ Lunney (Aodh Dervin 68), Gavin Molloy; John Ross Wilson (Brian McManus 62), Matty Smith, Shane Farrell (Mark Coyle 62); Jack Moylan, Sean Boyd (Dan Carr 68).
Drogheda United: Colin McCabe; Darragh Nugent, Andrew Quinn, Keith Cowan, Dane Massey; Ryan Brennan (Victor Arong 69), Emre Topcu; Dylan Grimes, Darragh Markey (Stefan Stanic-Floody 58), Dayle Rooney (Dylan Molloy h-t); Chris Lyons (Dean Williams 28).
Referee: Mark Moynihan (Cork).
