SLIGO ROVERS moved three points clear at the top of the Airtricity League Premier Division thanks to a 5-0 defeat of Dundalk.

Dundalk lost a man to a red card at both the start and end of the night, and were completely outclassed throughout by the league-leaders.

Richie Ryan, Joseph Ndo, John Dillon and Eoin Doyle all scored on the night, before a late own goal added to Dundalk’s woes.

Dean Bennett was first to go after just three minutes when his last-man tackle on Matthew Blinkhorn earned him a straight red card from referee Damien Hancock.

From the free-kick Ryan curled a stunning left-foot shot into the top corner.

The second came on 36 minutes, when substitute John Dillon, combined with Aaron Greene to set-up Joseph Ndo, who fired home from outside the area.

Mark Quigley had a chance for Dundalk at the start of the second half after some good work by Greg Bolger, but Rovers’ third goal on 61 minutes – scored by Dillon – deflated the visitors further.

Substitute Eoin Doyle then netted just a minute after his 70th minute introduction, and the fifth arrived when Johnny Breen directed Greene’s cross to his own net in the closing stages.

Dundalk’s misery was compounded when Bolger received a second yellow card in the last minute.

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke; Keane (Martin 83), Peers (Dillon 34), McGuinness, Powell; Russell, Ndo, Ventre, Ryan, Greene; Blinkhorn (Doyle 70).

DUNDALK: P Murphy; Madden, Byrne, Bennett, N Murphy; Ward (Reilly 88), McDonnell (Duffy 79), Bolger, Breen, Gaynor; Quigley.

REFEREE: D Hancock (Dublin).