Aidan Keena brace sends Pat's top after Dundalk rout

St Patrick's Athletic lead Shamrock Rovers on goal difference at the top of the Premier Division

Aidan Keena scored twice in the first half as St Pat's beat Dundalk. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Dundalk 0 St Patrick's Athletic 4

St Patrick’s Athletic moved top of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table in style with a four goal thumping of Dundalk at Oriel Park.

A first half double from Aidan Keena and further goals from Ryan Sheridan and Ryan Edmondson ensured that Stephen Kenny’s side not only displaced Shamrock Rovers at the summit but also boosted their goal difference.

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 top in what is now a three-team title race.

St Pat’s were slow to grow into the game but they would find the breakthrough on 21 minutes. 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 Vassenin to it before laying off to the inrushing Keena to fire first-time past Enda Minogue to the bottom left hand corner.

The second then arrived from another set piece eight minutes before the break.

Barry Baggley’s corner was turned goalwards by Joe 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.

Keena had three chances to complete his hat-trick before the outcome was put beyond doubt on 75 minutes 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 left-footed to the top left-hand corner.

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.

DUNDALK: Minogue; Mulligan (JR 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.