Shamrock Rovers have one foot in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round following a 4-0 victory over St Joseph's at the Europa Sports Park in Gibraltar.
Rory Gaffney, Daniel Mandroiu, John McGovern and Jack Byrne were all on target with the second leg to come next Thursday at Tallaght Stadium.
The Hoops went into this match after a five-day break following their 4-0 victory over Wexford in the FAI Cup, and just four players remained from the starting XI last Sunday.
Ed McGinty, Josh Honohan, Roberto Lopes, and Lee Grace all kept their places for a game against a St Joseph’s outfit that got the better of Cliftonville last week in extra-time at Solitude.
Rovers took a deserved lead in the 13th minute through Gaffney after the striker dinked the ball over an onrushing Bradley Banda.
Graham Burke followed that up by getting underneath a Dylan Watts free-kick and his effort was pushed out for a corner that easily dealt with by St Joseph’s.
The hosts grew into the game, but their issue was creating something that really tested Ed McGinty.
The home side did manage to pry Rovers open and win a corner from an awkward Daniel Cleary clearance in the 36th minute and like everything else they put together, it came to nothing.
Joseph’s eventually went to the bench and brought on on Mitch Gibson, a senior Gibraltar international that hit six goals in 13 appearances at domestic level last season.
Bradley responded by replacing Burke with Byrne, and a newfound sense of control created three goals in eight minutes.
Hohohan kicked things off with a low effort that was pushed away by Banda. Mandroiu got to the loose ball on the edge of the area and his shot went in via a deflection in the 67th minute.
This continued with McGovern marking his European debut in a hooped jersey by stabbing in a cross at the near post in the 73rd minute.
Just 90 seconds later, Byrne completed the rout with the pick of the bunch. The midfielder picked his spot from 25 yards out and fired into the opposite corner with a stunning strike that Banda had no chance of getting to.
It means the tie is effectively over going back to Dublin, with the Hoops likely looking towards a crucial league game against Derry City after the second leg, before their third round encounter..
St Joseph’s: Bradley Banda; Ethan Jolley (Leon Volz 29), Javi Paul, Geovanni Barba, Angel Martinez (Javi Forjan 58), Manuel Sánchez, Juanma, Facundo Alvarez, Adrian Armental (Mitch Gibson 58), Pablo Rodiguez, Alvaro Rey (Hassane Amadou 86).
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Danny Grant (Darragh Nugent 80), Lee Grace, Roberto Lopes, Daniel Cleary, Josh Honohan, Danny Mandroiu (John McGovern 71), Matt Healy, Dylan Watts (Aaron McEneff 64), Graham Burke (Jack Byrne 64), Rory Gaffney (Michael Noonan 71).
Referee: Matthew MacDermid (Scotland)
