MARK QUIGLEY and Daniel Kearns again combined to hand Dundalk a 3-1 first leg advantage over Cliftonville in their Setanta Sports Cup semi-final at Solitude.

Ian Foster's side have been in tremendous form on the road in this competition and will be red hot favourites to progress to the final when the second leg is played at Oriel Park on Monday, April 18.

George McMullan put the Reds ahead with his fifth goal in the competition in the 25th minute but Cliftonville were eventually pegged back.

Quigley produced another brilliant strike to fire the visitors level on 48 minutes.

Kearns put Dundalk ahead on 76 minutes with a shot that Cliftonville goalkeeper Jack Duffin surprisingly failed to hold.

Former Millwall, St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians striker Quigley made it 3-1 with another brilliant shot from distance in the 83rd minute.

Meanwhile, Sligo Rovers secured a semi-final meeting with Shamrock Rovers after a 2-0 quarter-final second leg win over Portadown at Shamrock Park.

Ireland Under-19 international winger Daryl Horgan marked his first team debut for the Bit O'Red with a goal in the 40th minute after a neat passing move.

Rovers secured a 5-0 aggregate win when substitute Joesph Ndo found the net in the 76 minute with a looping shot from outside the penalty area.