St Patrick's Athletic 5 Shamrock Rovers 0: Billy Gibson and Alan Kirby each scored twice to move St Patrick's back up to second place in the Premier Division as Shamrock Rovers' chances of making Europe next season look in doubt.
Rovers wasted a chance to take a ninth-minutes lead when Ger Rowe's flick put Paul Sheils in on goal but Brendan Clarke made a brave save at the midfielder's feet.
But St Patrick's soon took control. Gibson had a shot taken off the line by Chris Mulhall before the lead arrived on 21 minutes. Michael Keane's pass was latched on to by Kirby whose shot caught Barry Murphy napping to fly into the corner of the net.
Rovers' Dave Vickery cleared off the line from Mark Quigley and Keith Fahey was narrowly wide from 25 yards before Gibson hit a sublime second from 30 yards out. Kirby killed the game on 56 minutes with his second goal after Fahey had skipped away down the right to cross.
Gary O'Neill got a fourth on the hour mark. Rovers' Eric McGill was sent off for a foul on Keane on 67minutes before Gibson's second goal on 74 minutes.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Clarke; Brennan, Maguire, Paisley, Rogers; Fahey (Guy, 68 mins), Gibson, Keane, Kirby (O'Connor, 74 mins); O'Neill (Fitzpatrick, 82 mins), Quigley.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Vickery, Danny O'Connor, Lawrence (Nash, half-time), Clarke; Mulhall (Purcell, half-time), Shiels, Reynolds, E McGill; Myler (Doyle, 86 mins), Rowe.
Referee: A Buttimer(Cork).
