Cork City wrapped up their fifth consecutive win and fourth clean sheet in a row with a four-goal victory to reinforce their 12-point lead atop the First Division table.
Ruairí Keating doubled his season tally with a brace, Hans Mpongo registered against his former club, and AJ Bridge completed the rout over eighth-placed Finn Harps in front of 2,471 fans at Turner's Cross.
After being included on the bench for Ireland’s 1-0 friendly victory over Qatar the day previous, Conor Brann was released to play between the City sticks and collected his eighth clean sheet in 18 games.
With captain Fiacre Kelleher suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards, 18-year-old defender Donal O’Connor earned his full debut. Teenage attacker Karim Fonseca later received a first appearance off the bench.
City’s defence was even more threadbare when right-back Harry Nevin pulled up with an apparent calf issue in the fifth minute. Bridge was introduced, with Niall O’Keeffe dropping deep.
That duo were soon involved in the first big chance, with Bridge backheeling O’Keeffe’s pass into Cillian Murphy’s path. The Ireland U17 international drew a full-stretch save from Lorenzo Piaia.
In the 16th minute, City’s pressure told. Darragh Crowley scuffed the ball forward towards Daniel de Lacerda, who inadvertently hooked the ball back towards his own goal and into Keating’s path. The 30-year-old cut onto his left to dispatch his second goal in two games.
O’Keeffe soon came within inches of a second. Left all alone to collect Crowley’s pass, he sold two retreating defenders with a feint before chopping the ball onto the post.After a mid-half lull, Conor Drinan’s bullet header forced another flying save from Piaia.
Keating came close again before half-time as he nodded onto the roof of the net.
Up against his ex-teammates, Mpongo had three openings within nine minutes of the restart. Piaia denied the Dutchman, who then blasted over the bar. He couldn’t miss the third.
Joel Bradley-Walsh and Alex Fanle didn’t get to Drinan’s long ball and Murphy stole in to create a three-on-one. He squared for Mpongo to walk home his 10th goal of the season.
Bridge was rampaging forward at every opportunity and there was a dollop of luck about his 58th-minute goal. Bradley-Walsh took the ball off Keating’s foot and it rolled for Bridge, who slipped but somehow managed to propel the ball into the top corner; a second goal for the Norwich City loanee.
Piaia wasn’t giving up the ghost, making fine saves from a Keating volley and Charlie Lyons. Drinan’s subsequent rebound was ruled out for offside.
Harps almost pulled one back from a short corner routine. Bernardo Monteiro’s initial shot was saved by Brann’s outstretched left foot and his second effort was pulled wide. On his debut, a late Fonseca volley flew wide of the post.
Keating applied an 89th-minute bonus when finishing off after Matthew Murray won the ball from Bradley-Walsh on the right flank. Piaia denied Mpongo before Bradley-Walsh blocked Keating’s hat-trick attempt.
Cork City: Conor Brann; Harry Nevin (AJ Bridge 7), Donal O’Connor, Charlie Lyons, Conor Drinan; Darragh Crowley, Greg Bolger (Matthew Murray 62), Niall O’Keeffe; Cillian Murphy (Karim Fonseca 76), Ruairí Keating, Hans Mpongo.
Finn Harps: Lorenzo Piaia; Josh Cullen (Temi Ajibola 70), Daniel de Lacerda (Max Hutchinson 46), Joel Bradley-Walsh, Alex Fanle; Aaron McLaughlin, Oran Brogan, Tony McNamee (Odhran McHugh 64), Bernardo Monteiro; Gavin McAteer; Nathan Lumingo (Darragh Coyle 64).
Referee: Mark Patchell (Dublin).
UCD picked up a first win in four games to stay second in the table.
The Students, who were top of the table ahead of their clash with Cork three weeks ago, took all three points against Athlone thanks to Niall Holohan's headed goal in first-half stoppage time.
Cobh moved up to third after beating Kerry 2-0 in a Munster derby at St Colman's Park.
Rhys Gourdie put them ahead, smashing home after being put in by Dylan McGlade. Wilson Waweru doubled the advantage before half time, gettting the final touch on Rhys Brennan's shot, and that's how it finished.
Bray took the bragging rights from their east coast derby clash with Wexford, winning 4-0 at the Carlisle Grounds.
Scoreless at half-time, the Seagulls ran riot in the second half after an own goal from Ryan Butler. Dan Ring scored the second, turning home Billy O'Neill's cross, before adding a second - Bray's third - after latching onto a rebound after O'Neill's shot was saved.
The fourth arrived through Ryan Kelly, as he ran at the visitors defence before shooting across goal and into the right corner.
It's now four defeats in five games for Wexford, who slipped from third to fifth place.
Longford Town are just behind them in sixth, ahead of Athlone on goal difference, after beating Treaty United 3-1 at Bishopsgate.
The first arrived after an error from Jack Brady. The goalkeeper cleared the ball but couldn't get back on his line, slipping as he tried to bat away Alex O'Brien's chipped shot from 40 yards.
There was no question about the second, Dean Williams taking down a ball over the top, dummying past Robbie Lynch, and finishing to the net.
Ben Feeney made extra time interesting as he picked his spot with a curler into the left corner, but Francis Campbell wrapped up the points with a breakaway goal a minute later.
Watch the Champions League final, PSG v Arsenal, on Saturday from 4pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app
