AFTER conceding four goals in Tallaght and six in Sofia, the last team Dundalk would have wanted to meet on their return to domestic action last night was St Patrick's Athletic.

The Louth club arrived into this meeting with a dreadful record against the Saints, having not scored a league goal against them in 12 years. And last night it was the 'goals against' column that took another battering as Pete Mahon's side waltzed to the easiest of victories to keep the pressure up on title rivals Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians.

St Pat's had the game all but wrapped up inside the opening 20 minutes thanks to a double from the unlikely source of Dave Mulcahy.

Mulcahy grabbed his first goal after just seven minutes. Michael Synnott, one of three changes to the Dundalk side overpowered in Bulgaria on Thursday night, conceded a needless corner and Mulcahy was given too much room to knock Derek Doyle's cross into the net.

He struck again on 16 minutes, looping his effort into the far corner after Dundalk goalkeeper Peter Cherrie failed to deal with a cross from the right.

Whatever chance Dundalk had of mounting a comeback ended in the 51st minute when Conor Kenna glanced a Damien Lynch free-kick past Cherrie for St Pat's third.

Next Fixture

Derry City / April 22nd @ 7:45pm
Competition: League
Venue: Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium
  Tweet #stpatsfc

Team	Pld	Pts
Shelbourne	11	21
Bohemian FC	11	19
Shamrock Rovers	10	18
Derry City	11	16
St Patrick's Athletic	11	15
Galway United FC	10	14
Sligo Rovers	10	13
Waterford FC	11	13
Drogheda United	10	8
Dundalk	11	5