Shelbourne 4 Bray Wanderers 1: Bray may have only been three points behind the leaders at the start of the day but there was a clear gulf between these two teams at Tolka Park last night.
This result saw Shelbourne consolidate their lead at the top of the table and, but for the odd lapse at the back, they were comfortable winners on the night.
However, victory came at a cost with Glen Crowe suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury eight minutes before the interval.
Shelbourne put out a strong team with Wesley Hoolahan having another influential game in the centre. Again, though, Richie Baker proved the goal-getter, his two efforts taking his season's league tally to four.
Bray, for their part, started the game without suspended skipper Jody Lynch with Colm Tresson, making his 250th appearance for the club, moving in from the right to deputise for the centre half.
The game was barely five minutes old when Shelbourne pounced for their first score. With a goal that evoked memories of his strike goal against Portadown last month, Baker headed home from five yards out after Alan Crawley sent over a corner from the right.
From there Shelbourne grew in confidence with Jason Byrne, playing for the first time in a competitive fixture against his old club, spurning a gilt-edged opportunity on 17 minutes after being played in by strike partner Crowe.
Crowe himself failed to find the target a few moments later and eventually they were made to pay when Bray equalised on 28 minutes.
Shelbourne looked to be in no real danger until Eamon Zayed manufactured something out of nothing to beat Steve Williams with a sublime left-footed effort from outside the box.
But with half-time looming, Bray once more found themselves in arrears when Hoolahan cut in from the touchline before curling a low left-footed effort to the bottom corner.
Shelbourne were caught napping shortly after the restart but Zayed was unable to take advantage as he shot wide from inside the penalty area.
And having survived that scare, Shelbourne closed the game with two goals in as many minutes.
Baker made it three on 49 minutes when he chipped goalkeeper Chris O'Connor from the edge of the box with Jason Byrne calmly slotting past O'Connor two minutes later.
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Hawkins, Rogers, Crawley; Baker, S Byrne, Hoolahan, Ryan; Crowe, J Byrne. Subs: Harris for Crowe (37 mins), Cahill for Hoolahan (69 mins), Moore for J Byrne (80 mins).
BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor; O'Reilly, Tresson, Charles, Keogh; Kelch, Long, James, Ryan; Fox, Zayed. Subs: McGuinness for Kelch, Gifford for Ryan (both 55 mins), Grogan for O'Reilly 83 mins.
Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).
