If they were to get their season back on track, St. Patrick’s were going to do it against Drogheda - a side they had comfortably beaten twice earlier in the season.

 

And goals from Derek Doyle, Daryl Kavanagh, Danny North and Anto Murphy delivered the morale-boosting win as Pete Mahon’s side looked to have firmly put their recent troubles behind them.

Without a win in five games, St. Patrick’s turned recent form on its head as they tore into Drogheda, who arrived on the back their best run of the season, from the start and they were in front on three minutes.

Evan McMillan won a header in the penalty area from Murphy’s long throw which Drogheda failed to clear.  Derek Doyle pounced on the loose ball to shoot home on the turn from 16 yards for his sixth league goal of the season.

Drogheda keeper Stephen Trimble had to show his agility a minute later when turning a close range shot from North out for a corner.

Both visiting central defenders, Alan McNally and captain Dave Rogers, promptly received yellow cards just past the quarter hour mark as Drogheda continued to struggle to contain the home side’s attacking verve.

An interested spectator was Republic of Ireland under-21 manager Noel King, presumably in attendance to run the rule of Drogheda midfielder Lee Lynch who has been pivotal for Mick Cooke’s side in recent games.

But the 19-year-old was generally starved of possession as it was St. Patrick’s who continued to impress with Murphy curling shot just over the bar before McMillan glanced a header wide from captain Stephen Bradley’s corner.

St. Patrick’s began the second half as they had the first and were again rewarded with a second goal inside five minutes.

Bradley’s corner came back to him on the Camac side of the ground and his perfectly-weighted delivery to the near post was powered home with a brave header from Kavanagh.

The game was over as a contest on 65 minutes when Rogers received his second yellow, and was sent-off, in tripping North to concede a penalty.

 North’s spot hick was parried by Trimble but he followed up to shoot home the rebound.

 Murphy’s industry got its reward with the fourth goal on 81 minutes, the winger sweeping home with aplomb from substitute David McMillan’s low cross from the left.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Pender, E. McMillan, Shortall, Bermingham; Murphy, Mulcahy, Bradley (Daly, 83 mins.), Doyle (D. McMillan, 66 mins.); Kavanagh, North (McFaul, 78 mins.).

DROGHEDA UNITED: Trimble; Quigley (Gaul, 83 mins.), McNally, Rogers, Hand; M. O’Brien, Lynch, Gannon, Brennan; Mulvenna (White, 57), Corcoran (Dolan, 70 mins.).

REFEREE: Padraig Sutton (Clare).