DUNDALK, thanks to their inspired teenage striker Brendan Markey, jumped above Shamrock Rovers and out of the relegation play off spot they've been in for much of the season with as comfortable a win as they might have dreamed of in the mist of Tolka Park last night.
This was a dreadful Rovers performance and a night they will want to forget quickly, but will not be able to as they enter the relegation zone themselves for the first time this season.
The Rovers defence had little answer to Markey, whose skill made the first goal for Brian Byrne before he scored a sublime second himself; the foot of a post deprived him of a third. And all that before half time.
Rovers began well enough with Stephen Grant wasting a good chance on four minutes when hoofing Tony Cousins' pull back high over the bar.
But two minutes later, Dundalk sprung into the lead. Fintan McConville found Markey just inside the Rovers' box with a quickly taken free kick.
Markey turned Gino Brazil twice before crossing for Byrne to slide in and toepoke the ball home from three yards.
Dundalk goalkeeper, Les Fridge prevented what seemed a certain equaliser in the 22nd minute when making a brilliant reflex save to push away Pat Fenlon's right foot shot from Cousins' cross. Derek Tracey then shot, straight at Fridge after a neat one two with Lee Williams five minutes later as Rovers enjoyed what, would be their best spell of the match.
A minute later Markey struck again to nip the Rovers' revival in the bud.
Collecting Ray Campbell's pass just on the edge of the Rovers' box, he feinted to throw off the attention of his marker before unleashing a stunning right foot shot that entered the net via the crossbar.
Rovers were now a shambles and Markey might have added a third five minutes later when Byrne set him up to shoot from 16 yards, but the inside of Robbie Horgan's right hand post prevented a goal.
Rovers offered no improvement in the second half with an early Cousins effort their only contribution.
Dundalk remained in complete control and Markey again came close to scoring when forcing Horgan into an awkward save from a diving header on 59 minutes. Mick Doohan should then have added a third from Campbell's free minutes later, but flashed a totally free header well wide.
. The local derby between Waterford United and Kilkenny City at the Waterford RFC last night attracted one of the biggest crowds for a league game in the city for quite a while. And the attendance was treated to plenty of goals as Kilkenny ran out 3-2 winners.
Kilkenny City took the lead after five minutes when Aidan Cooney beat the Waterford goalkeeper John Grace with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area, but Pat Sinnott scrambled the ball over the line after 13 minutes to equalise.
The visitors regained the lead after 22 minutes when Cooney delightfully nudged home his second goal of the game. Then on 65 minutes Kilkenny went further ahead when Pascal Keane flashed home a header from eight yards. And on 74 minutes Jason Brown pulled one back for Waterford from the penalty spot.
