Shamrock Rovers produced arguably their finest performance so far this season as they swept Dundalk aside at Tallaght Stadium to return to the top of the table.

The Hoops, who have struggled at times at home, survived an early scare to dominate proceedings against a tired and understrength Lillywhite side who will have to pick themselves up as they travel to Sofia for their Europa League clash with Levski on Thursday.

Rovers will go into their first leg against Bnei Yehuda brimming with confidence after a superb double from James Chambers, either end of strikes from Gary Twigg  and a Stephen Maher own goal.

The visitors could easily have led early on, but Ross Gaynor’s well struck free came back off the crossbar.

But Rovers were soon taking control and a Craig Sives had a volley well saved by Matt Gregg, before the English stopper denied Twigg who should have done better when put through one on one by Paddy Kavanagh.

Wayne Hatswell cleared a Twigg shot off the line, before Chambers opened the scoring after the Dundalk assistant manager needlessly attacked a header that wasn’t his, diverting the ball into the right winger’s path and he beat Gregg with a left footer.

The second followed within five minutes, Alan Cawley had a free kick just wide for Dundalk but it was the Hoops who doubled their lead as Gregg misjudged a Kavanagh corner and the ball struck Maher and went in.

From the kick off, the ace marksman had something to celebrate properly as Stewart dispossessed Cawley and threaded the ball through to Twigg who swept the ball home.

Gregg kept the score to three before the break by denying headers from Sives and Dan Murray, the second a brilliant dive to his left.

But the scoreline ran to four on the hourmark, Chambers cut in from the right to grab a second. He played a one two with Turner before defying the angle with a rising drive that gave Gregg no chance as it came off the bar and down just over the line.

Mannus had one piece of work to do, saving his skipper’s blushes as Murray’s header spun goalwards, but the Hoops closed the game out comfortably otherwise.

SHAMROCK ROVERS – Mannus; Sives, Price, Murray, Stevens; Chambers, Rice (Bayly 71), Turner, Kavanagh (O’Connor 64); Stewart, Twigg (Barrett 69).

DUNDALK – Gregg; Kelly, Hatswell, Miller, Murphy (McGuigan h-t); Mulvenna (McGowan 57), Maher, Cawley, McDonnell; Fenn, Gaynor.

REFEREE – D McKeon (Dublin).