After dominating the first-half, Dundalk took a well deserved lead in the 53rd minute. Garry Breen - who just seconds earlier had forced Alan Mannus into a fingertip save - headed a Ross Gaynor corner back into the six-yard box where Neale Fenn was on hand to turn the ball home.

Rovers almost hit back just 60 seconds later when James Chambers rattled the post with a free-kick. Aidan Price hooked the rebound goal wards but Wayne Hatswell was on hand to clear the ball off the line.

Goal number two arrived in the 55th minute. Ross Gaynor's cross found Neale Fenn hovering around the penalty spot. His effort was blocked by Danny Murphy but JJ Melligan seized possession and slid the ball home from close range.

Rovers got their way back into things ten minutes later when Gary Twigg tapped home at the far post after Price had rose well to flick on Stephen Rice's long throw.

The dismissal of Chambers for a second bookable offence all but ended their hopes of a comeback and in truth they deserved nothing out of a game that the home side controlled for the majority of the 90 plus minutes.

Sadly for the match, and for Rovers, a small section of the visiting supporters reacted disgracefully to the sending off and held the match up for seven minutes.

Things may have been different had Rovers opened the scoring after just seven minutes. Chambers delivered a peach of a ball across the face of the Dundalk goal but Thomas Stewart - fresh off the back of two goals against St Pat's on Friday night - weakly put his effort wide from close range, an indication of how their half would proceed.

From then on, it was all Dundalk. JJ Melligan looked bright on his return to action after two games out through injury. The former Leyton Orient man was at the heart of almost everything positive for Dundalk, finding plenty of joy against Murphy on the right flank.

He set up Maher for a left footed shot in the 10th minute that Mannus did well to hold. Further efforts came the way of the Northern Irish goalkeeper with Liam Burns blasting over with a volley. Mannus was then relieved to see a Fenn header land in his grasp after Wayne Hatswell had knocked the ball into the danger zone from a Gaynor corner.

Fenn almost broke the deadlock in spectacular style after 23 minutes. Melligan again acted as provider, picking him out with a right wing cross. Fenn's first touch was immaculate,allowing him to set the ball up for a wicked curling effort that whistled just over the crossbar.

Hoops boss Michael O'Neill responded to seeing his side get overrun in the middle of the park by taking off Robert Bayly in the 39th minute. The former Fingal man certainly didn't look happy as he made his way straight to the dressing room with Stephen Rice taking his place.

It mattered little in the grand scheme of things as Dundalk, led by the all action Maher in the centre of the park, held on for a well deserved win.

DUNDALK: Cherrie; Kelly, Burns, G Breen, Hatswell; Maher, Melligan (McGuigan, 92 mins), Miller; Kuduzovic, Fenn (J Breen, 86 mins), Gaynor.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Flynn, Price, Murray, Murphy; Chambers, Turner (Baker, 65 mins), Bayly (Rice, 39 mins), Cahill (Dennehy, 60 mins); Twigg, Stewart.

REFEREE: Damien Hancock (Dublin).