Drogheda more than made up for their catalogue of missed opportunities in last week's match in Portadown when they knocked four goals past their hapless visitors at United Park last evening.

The home side were two goals up inside nine minutes and made it three before half-time.

Portadown's cause was not helped when Kyle Neil was sent off on 69 minutes.

Drogheda could even afford the luxury of a missed penalty thereafter.

In virtually their first attack, Drogheda scored when Shane Barrett's shot deflected off a Portadown defender into the path of Paul Keegan, who cracked the ball home from 15 yards - his second goal in five days.

Within 90 seconds the home side doubled their lead when Barrett picked the ball up on the left corner of the box and curled a superb strike to the bottom left corner of Paul Murphy's goal.

The Irish League side created their first chance on 20 minutes when Mark McCann fired wide from 12 yards having found some room on the right.

With half an hour gone the visitors' defence lived dangerously once more when Jason Gavin's ball over the top set Declan O'Brien on his way, but he lost his footing at the crucial moment.

Three minutes later Drogheda made it three when they won a free on the left, which Bradley knocked across the area to James Keddy. He miscued, but the ball ran to Steven Gray, whose attempted shot was flicked to the net by O'Brien.

Drogheda's fourth goal arrived on 56 minutes when Declan O'Brien unleashed a fierce drive from 25 yards which came off the underside of the bar and over the line.

Neil was then sent off for a challenge on Shane Robinson inside the area, and O'Brien, on his hat-trick, stepped up but knocked the ball off the post.

Drogheda: Connor; Lynch, Gray, Gavin (Webb half-time), Gartland, Robinson, O'Brien, Keddy, Bradley, Keegan (Whelan 63), Barrett (Leech 55).

Portadown: Murphy; Clarke, Convery, Kelly, Boyle, McCann, Teggart, Marks (Liggett 63), Craig, Quinn (Baker 55), Neil.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork)