Derry City easily saw off Dundalk 3-0 at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium to secure their third victory in a row.
The home side never looked back after Jordan McEneff's 20th minute opener, before second-half goals from Brandon Kavanagh and Michael Duffy made it a more comfortable evening.
For Dundalk, who had won four games on the bounce going into the encounter, it's back to the drawing board. They were second best for long periods and only really created chances after Brandon Kavanagh's goal on the hour mark.
Derry went close to taking a 14th minute lead, but Duffy's long-range strike drew a superb save from Dundalk 'keeper Nathan Shepperd, who did well to turn the ball away for a corner.
Six minutes later the deadlock was broken as the home side went in front. Cian Kavanagh's knock down found McEneff in acres of space inside the Dundalk box; the midfielder steadied himself before drilling the ball low in off Shepperd's right-hand post.
Dundalk were forced into an early change soon after City's opener with skipper Darragh Leahy having to be replaced by Ryan O'Kane, after the defender failed to recover from an earlier challenge with McEneff.
Just after the half-hour mark Derry were forced into a change themselves as Ciaran Coll had to replace Shane McEleney, who seemed to pick up a groin problem.
McEneff went close to scoring his second of the night on 52 minutes as Ben Doherty's right-wing corner found him at the back post, but his header, which had Shepperd beaten, was cleared off the line by Paul Doyle.
Derry did add a second on the hour mark in superb fashion as Brandon Kavanagh picked up possession after Dundalk cleared Duffy's initial corner, and the youngster unleashed a stunning 25-yard drive past Shepperd.
Cian Kavanagh missed a glorious chance to add a third on 69 minutes when he broke the offside trap before getting away from Hayden Muller, his close-range strike was saved by Shepperd.
Dundalk missed a golden opportunity to pull a goal back on 76 minutes as Cameron McJannet and Ben Doherty failed to clear the ball. It went through to substitute Cameron Elliott, but with only Derry 'keeper Brian Maher to beat, he blasted over from 10 yards.
Soon after, a Ryan O'Kane left-wing centre found Pat Hoban, but the front man's powerful downward header fizzed just past the post.
Derry's third goal came courtesy of a tremendous lung-bursting run by Adam O'Reilly, which saw the midfielder run some 30 yards before racing into the box past Wasiri Williams and cutting the ball back to Duffy, who scored against his former club.
In stoppage time Derry was inches away adding a fourth but Ryan Graydon's effort, which had Shepperd worried, clipped the crossbar.
Derry City: Brian Maher, Ronan Boyce, Shane McEleney (Ciaran Coll 35), Cameron McJannet, Ben Doherty; Sadou Diallo (Will Patching 86), Adam O'Reilly, Jordan McEneff (Cameron Dummigan 69); Brandon Kavanagh (Oliver O'Neill 69), Cian Kavanagh (Ryan Graydon 69), Michael Duffy.
Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd, Wasiri WIlliams, Hayden Muller, Darragh Leahy (Ryan O'Kane 24); Archie Davies, Alfie Lewis, Connor Malley, Paul Doyle (Daniel Kelly 68), Johannes Yli-Kokko (Patrick Hoban 68), Robert McCourt (Cameron Elliott 73); John Martin (Keith Ward 73).
Referee: Mr Robert Harvey (Dublin).
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