League of Ireland Premier Division/ Drogheda Utd 3 Sligo Rovers 0:This win sees Drogheda draw level on points with St Patrick's Athletic at the top of the table following a comfortable victory over a Sligo Rovers side who were effectively beaten before the match was half an hour old.

Two goals from in-form striker Eamon Zayed, the first a cracker, and a third, courtesy of his fellow front man Declan O'Brien, killed Rovers off with 15 minutes of the first half remaining.

Eight minutes into the game Shane Robinson began the move that led to the first Drogheda goal when he picked out O'Brien with his back to the target just outside the Sligo box. He chested it into the path of Zayed who rifled his shot from 25 yards to the top corner of the net.

The home side went two up with 24 minutes gone when O'Brien chased a Brian Shelley ball to the end line which Zultan Vasas tried to see out for a goal kick. The United striker somehow nicked the ball from the Rovers defender, however, and managed to keep it in play before pulling it across for Zayed who finished with ease from six yards.

Drogheda struck for a third just three minutes later when Simon Webb's long ball from defence on the left found O'Brien on the corner of the box. The United captain controlled the ball brilliantly before planting his strike past goalkeeper Richard Brush to the bottom left corner of the net.

The second half dropped in tempo and was more evenly contested as Sligo went in search of the goal which would have got them back into the match and Drogheda went close on numerous occasions to extending their advantage.

A Rafael Cretaros shot flew out for a corner off Steven Gray early on and at the other end Stuart Byrne's glancing header from a Stephen Bradley corner wasn't too far away.

With an hour gone, Zayed played a lovely ball into the box from the right but Robinson and O'Brien got their calls mixed up.

On one of the rare occasions United goalkeeper Mikko Vilmunen was called into action in the closing stages he was on hand to save from Adam Hughes.

Just before the end O'Brien had a great chance but he clipped his shot narrowly wide.

DROGHEDA: Vilmunen, Lynch, Webb, Gartland (Gray 43), Robinson (O'Keeffe, 62), O'Brien, Shelley, Bradley, Byrne, Zayed, Cahill (Keegan, 68).

SLIGO: Brush, Coleman, Foy (McCartney, half-time), O'Grady, McKenzie, Vasas (Kelly, 34), Cretaro, Hughes, Turner, Bajdziak (Aisien, 77), Kudozovic.

Referee: Declan Hanney(Dublin)