It was competent rather than compelling as St Patrick's consolidated their lead of the Premier Division table with a workmanlike defeat of Drogheda United at Richmond Park last night.

Martin Reilly, playing as a left winger, was Drogheda's chief tormentor. He did much of the damage, creating the first goal for Ian Gilzean after 34 minutes and then scoring a superb second two minutes later.

Reilly's timely intervention was just what a generally drab match up till that time needed.

Paul Osam began the move down the left to feed Reilly, who skipped over Ian Hill's rash challenge along the touchline. Reilly's fine cross to the back post was skilfully finished to the net by Gilzean with a deft flick of his left foot.

Drogheda's challenge was killed off two minutes later when Trevor Molloy's clever flick found Reilly some 40 yards from goal. He pushed the ball through the Drogheda defence and raced clear to finish with a low drive beyond Gareth Byrne, the former St Patrick's goalkeeper.

It more than put St Patrick's in command, and they utterly dominated the game in the confidence of their two-goal cushion.

Gilzean headed narrowly wide before half-time as Drogheda reshuffled in the hope of stemming the flow and keeping the rampant St Patrick's attack at bay.

Drogheda reorganised at half-time and almost got right back into the game within the first minute of the start of the second-half. Greg O'Dowd's superb cross found Brian Irwin, whose header dipped onto the roof of the goal.

But St Patrick's remained in full control and the only disappointing aspect to their win was that they didn't add to their margin.

David Fairclough cleared off the line from an Osam header from Keith Long's corner on 52 minutes, and Reilly shot the wide across the face of the Drogheda goal seconds later as the danger wasn't cleared.

St Patrick's Athletic: Wood; Burke, Lynch, Hawkins, Long; Osam, Morgan, Gormley, Reilly; Gilzean, Molloy. Subs: Campbell for Morgan (72 mins), Keegan for Molloy (82 mins), Gaynor for Reilly (87 mins).

Drogheda United: Byrne; Hill, Impey, J Reid, Fairclough; Murphy, De Khors, Ramage, O'Dowd; Gallen, N Reid. Subs: Irwin for Murphy (44 mins), Harte for Gallen (72 mins).

Referee: J Stacey (Athlone).