IT takes some reading alright, and it took some doing. A shell-shocked Bohemians were entitled to ask of their hosts: "Are you Ajax in disguise?" For similarities didn't end with the new St Patrick's strip, it extended to some sumptuous football and outstanding finishing played on an icy surface. The icing on the cake, of course, was that it marked Brian Kerr's 10th anniversary.

Sheepishly, Kerr ritually accepted the pre-match presentation, and then it was on to business with a performance to match, and maybe even surpass, anything his Supersaints had served up in the past decade. He couldn't have dreamed this. St Patrick's were simply mesmerising.

Mentally, Bohemians weren't attuned at all. They were pining for the full-time whistle long before it came, apparently suffering from the illusion that the match would not be played. They'll moan that it was, and Kerr had some sympathy for Turlougb O'Connor.

Kerr admitted that it would have to rank as highly as any performance under his command - "considering it was against the joint leaders."

"Turlough felt the pitch was unplayable, but certainly we made it look playable with the performance. We wore the gear of a fairly well-known team and we played a bit like them I thought."

Kerr, in fact, was almost upstaged by the Patrick Kluivert for the night, Martin Reilly. A supremely-taken hat-trick was only the crowning glory of a display of stunning skill, vision and utter cockiness.

St Patricks' central midfielders, Keith Long and Liam Buckley, warmed to their task as the night grew colder, and in the end completely usurped Paul Doolin and Derek McGrath.

Bohemians' back four looked distinctly unhappy all night, the nature of the contest and the tight pitch not suiting Kevin Brady, nor, indeed, the hitherto excellent James Coll. As they pushed up, so Reilly and company revelled in the extra space. A slick second half display of counter-attacking augmenting a go-for-it 2-0 first-half lead.

By contrast, their back four had Bohemians in a vice-like grip; the solid central-defensive pairing of John McDonnell and Mick Moody flanked by superb fullback contributions from Packie Lynch and Ray Carolan.

Roared on by the majority in a partying 4,000-strong crowd, Ricky O'Flaherty and Reilly had already threatened when St Patrick's struck after 14 minutes. Coll inadvertently glanced a long Brian McKenna kick-out towards his goal, the alert Reilly latching on to it and rounding Dave Henderson to score with some elan.

Another misdirected header for a corner 35 yards from goal by, Brady, underlined Bohemians discomfort. But this was about more than long balls. There was still some good defending to be done. Lynch cut out deep centres as Tommy Byrne hovered. Reilly skinned Brady and tested Henderson before adding the second, six minutes from half-time.

A sweet goal it was too. Reilly initiated it with a lay-off which found Long. His intelligent ball from the centre circle was dummied over by Osam, releasing Carolan to skip past Moody and play Osam in for a crossed chip which Henderson misjudged for Reilly to apply a downward header.

St Patrick's waited for the post-interval comeback. It never came. As more players lost their footing, Bohemians didn't seem to want to know. Vulnerable all night to inswinging Carolan corners, he swung over two in four minutes which yielded goals. Both were missed at the near post by the Bohemians defence. The first, by Coll of all people, for McDonnell to score from close in. Buckley followed suit four minutes later.

St Patrick's were now rampant. It was no surprise when a fifth came after 71 minutes, following a pitch-length counter-attack initiated by Osam from inside their own area. O'Flaherty layed off to Reilly, who singed the ground in skinning Coll the half-way line. Although his in-field pass eluded O'Flaherty, Trevor Croly's return centre found Reilly at the far post. Outrageously, he chested the ball down close in, looked Henderson in the eye and shot into the roof of the net.

It was his third of the night, and seventh of the season. At long last, the richly skilled Reilly has arrived at the age of 26.