SHAMROCK ROVERS maintain in pole position in the Premier Division after a routine 3-0 win over struggling Drogheda United.

 

The Hoops got off to a lively start and looked as if they would emphasise the gulf between the two sides early enough into the encounter.

 

Gary O’Neill had the game’s first opportunity in the fifth minute but his volley from a Gary McCabe cross lacked the venom to beat Drogheda keeper Stephen Trimble.

 

Three minutes later Billy Dennehy cut in from the left but his rasping right footed strike flashed across the goal face.

 

McCabe had a chance to open the scoring in the 17th minute when he cut in from the right flank and sent in a low strike that never extended Trimble.

 

Frustratingly for the home support the Hoops seemed to run out of ideas in the rest of the first half and Drogheda began to grow in confidence.

 

Half-time clearly did the trick for Rovers as they played with far more urgency after the break. Craig Sives eventually broke the deadlock when he headed home from a Conor McCormack delivery four minutes after the restart.

 

Gary Twigg put Rovers further ahead in the 54th minute when he poked home at the near post from a low cross by McCabe.

 

Twigg added number three on the hour when he ran onto a Dennehy pass to round the exposed Trimble before trotting forward and poking into an empty net.

 

Dennehy had a golden chance to make it 4-0 in the 78th minute when he led a lightening Rovers counterattack but Trimble did brilliantly to save at his feet.

 

Substitute Stephen Campbell was unlucky not to pull one back for the visitors late on when he forced a top class save from Alan Mannus in the Hoops goal.

 

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; McCormack, Sives, Murray, Stevens, McCabe, Turner (Rice 60), Finn, Dennehy, Twigg (Kilduff 72), O’Neill (Sheppard 65).

 

DROGHEDA UNITED: Trimble; C O’Brien, Hand, Gannon, Ekanem, Quigley, M O’Brien, McCrossan, Freeman (Campbell 81), Corcoran, McNamara (Murray 65 (Gaul 70)).

 

Referee: P Sutton (Clare)

 

Ends