MARK QUIGLEY'S brilliant first half hat-trick saw Dundalk ease their way to fifth place with a comfortable victory over Bray Wanderers.

Quigley's treble ensured it was a one-sided clash at the Carlisle Grounds.

The Dubliner was on target after just ten minutes when accepting a pass from Keith Ward, he ran unchallenged from his own half before calmly planting the ball past Bray Keeper Matt Gregg from 15 yards.

The Seagulls were level on 26 minutes when a cross by Chris Shields on the right was powerfully headed home by the unmarked Danny O'Connor at the far post.

Disaster struck Bray on the 29th minute when defender Joe Kendrick was shown the red card by Cork referee Anthony Buttimer when he adjudged there had been a foul on Quigley inside the box. Quigley took the spot kick himself calmly shooting low past Gregg.

That man Quigley grabbed his 14th competitive goal of the season seconds before the interval  when accepting a pass from Daniel Kearns, his effort from the edge of the box slipped through the legs of Gregg and into the net.

With their numerical advantage, Dundalk dominated the second half  and Mark Griffin added a fourth goal on 67 minutes after man of the match Quigley had produced a defence-spliiting pass.

The icing on the cake came in the third minute of added time when Keith Ward had a brilliant solo effort from 25 yards that struck the upright and rebound into the net to make it a sad three defeats in a row for once highflying Bray. 

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg , S.O'Connor, Last (Webster 45), Prendergast, Kendrick; Shields, Dempsey, D,O'Connor (Houston 70), Massey; Murphy, Mulroy (O'Neill 56).

DUNDALK: Cherrie, Madden, Bennett, Guthrie, Murphy; Kearns ( Maher 74), Ward. Bolger, Gaynor; Quigley  (Kerr 86), Griffin (Breen 76).

REFEREE: A Buttimer (Cork).