St Patrick’s Athletic moved top of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table in style at Oriel Park with a thumping 4-0 victory over Dundalk.
Stephen Kenny enjoyed some of his greatest title triumphs at the Louth stadium and this result will give Saints fans reasons to dream of another as they not only leapfrogged Shamrock Rovers at the summit but doubled their goal difference advantage to eight in the process.
A first-half double from Aidan Keena and second-half goals from Ryan Sheridan and Ryan Edmondson means the Saints are closer than ever to a first league win since 2013.
While Stephen Bradley’s side have a game in hand to restore their advantage, it is against a Bohemians team who will also feel they have a chance of finishing the campaign top of the pile for the first time since 2009.
The home side started promisingly but an Aodh Dervin shot from distance that was well over was all they had to show for their efforts.
By contrast, St Pat’s were slow to grow into the game but they did give a glimpse of their undoubted threat when Sheridan found Keena at the edge of the box on 14 minutes only for the striker to scuff rather tamely at Enda Minogue.
Aidan Keena (L) scored the first two goals of the night
The Mullingar man would find the breakthrough seven minutes later though.
Cian Dillon was guilty of coughing up possession all too cheaply to Joe Redmond, with Jamie Lennon’s route one ball forward seeing Anthony Olusanya beat Egor Vassein to it before laying off to the inrushing Keena to fire first-time past Minogue to the bottom left-hand corner.
The visitors would threaten again on 25 minutes when Sean Hoare headed over from a Keena free-kick, but the second would arrive from another set piece eight minutes before the break.
Barry Baggley’s corner was turned goalwards by Redmond and while Minogue did well to keep the Saints captain’s effort out, Keena was first to react to bundle in both his and his side’s second.
Dundalk did show a little more fight approaching the break but Dillon ran out of road when he was denied by Joseph Anang at his near post after 42 minutes before Vassenin fired just wide after Daryl Horgan’s free-kick had broken to him two minutes later.
The Louth men made a double change at the break by introducing Shane Tracey and JR Wilson but it was St Pat’s who continued to dominate the early chances with Keena having three further attempts – one blazed over and the next two well saved by Minogue.
Dundalk did battle gamely for a way back into it, but their night was summed up on 72 minutes when Bobby Burns’ attempt from the edge of the box was blocked en route to goal by his team-mate Leo Gaxha, who was in an offside position.
The St Pat’s players celebrate their second goal
The outcome was then put beyond doubt three minutes later as the Lilywhites switched off from a throw-in with James Brown’s pull back finding Sheridan, who blasted a memorable first goal for the club past Minogue.
Brown should have added another himself shortly after but he did have another big hand to play in his side’s fourth in the 82nd minute as his floated free-kick saw Sean Hoare head back across goal for the completely unmarked Edmondson to loop a header over Minogue.
It could have been even worse for the hosts but for the upright, which denied Romal Palmer another in the closing stages.
Dundalk: Minogue; Mulligan (Wilson, HT), Grivosti, Vassenin, Burns; Dervin (Warren, 69), Teahan; Clarke (McDaid, 76), Groome (Tracey, HT), Horgan; Dillon (Gaxha, 55).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Redmond, Hoare, Turner; Elbouzedi (Brown, 58), Lennon, Baggley (Nugent, 58), Breslin; Sheridan (Forrester, 79), Keena (Edmondson, 69); Olusanya (Palmer, 79).
Referee: Marc Lynch.