Shamrock Rovers bounce back with hat-trick
Gary Twigg celebrated his player of the month award for March by scoring a hat-trick as Shamrock Rovers bounced back from their heavy defeat at St. Patrick's Athletic last week to trounce Dundalk 6-0 on an emotional night at Tallaght Stadium.
Hoops fans walked the 10 kilometres from the memorial to Glenmalure Park at Milltown before the game to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the loss of their famous ground to development.
Chris Turner sent Rovers on their way with the lead on 31 minutes with Twigg netting his first of the night two minutes later.
Billy Dennehy ended the game as a contest with a third goal in the first minute of the second half.
Twigg scored again on 81 and 87 minutes to complete his hat-trick to make it eight goals in total for the season to date. Daryl Kavanagh added the sixth goal in stoppage time. Champions Rovers are now just a point behind leaders Sligo Rovers who drew at home to Derry City
Davin O'Neill also scored a hat-trick as Cork City beat Monaghan United by the same scoreline in the basement battle at Turner's Cross to give Timmy Dunne's side their first win of the season.
Cork scored twice through Daryl Horgan and O'Neill in a five minutes spell around the half hour mark.
Vinny Sullivan punished poor defending to make it 3-0 three minutes into the second half before Monaghan had midfielder Keith Quinn sent off a minute later, apparently for dissent.
O'Neill got his second and Cork's fourth on 65 minutes. Tadhg Purcell then got in on the act to make it five before O'Neill scored his third from an 86th minute penalty.
Danny North’s fifth goal in the last four league games kept Sligo Rovers a point clear at the top of the table as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Derry City at the Showgrounds.
North put Sligo ahead on 24 minutes when tapping home from Alan Keane's cross. Derry levelled 11 minutes later from a David McDaid penalty after Gavin Peers pushed Simon Madden in the box.
Jason Byrne scored the 183rd goal of his league career to become the second highest scorer of all-time. But the striker then missed a second half penalty as Bray Wanderers lost 2-1 at Shelbourne.
Byrne drilled low past Paul Skinnner on the half hour to equalise Philly Hughes' tenth minute opener for Shels.
Paul Skinner then saved Byrne's 60th minute penalty before substitute Philip Gorman headed Shels' winner from Brian Shortall's cross on 82 minutes.
Bohemians made it two wins from two as they beat UCD 2-1 at the UCD Bowl.
Keith Ward put Bohs into an eighth minute lead before Dinny Corcoran doubled that six minutes into the second half. Graham Rusk scored for UCD from an 86th minute penalty.
St. Patrick's Athletic failed to build on their big win over Shamrock Rovers last week as they were held to a 0-0 draw at in-form Drogheda United.
St. Pat's enjoyed most of the possession but it was Drogheda who felt they might have won it after Tiarnan Mulvenna hit a post four minutes from time.
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