Setanta Cup/St Patrick's Athletic 5 Dungannon Swifts 0:Anthony Murphy and Alan Kirby maintained their respective goalscoring sprees as the St Patrick's renaissance continued apace with a place in the semi-finals of the Setanta Sports Cup secured with another impressive win.
Such is the general depth at manager John McDonnell's disposal St Patrick's coped very well despite absent pivotal players Keith Fahey and Gary O'Neill through injury. They had the confidence to adjust to a 4-3-3 line-up with Stephen Brennan in midfield and Sean O'Connor in for his first start of the season on the left of the attack.
Dungannon, without three key players, including teenage striker Mark McAllister who caused St Patrick's a problem or two in last week's 2-2 draw at Stangmore Park, were never allowed settle.
The goals duly arrived with Murphy scoring his fourth in as many games on 29 minutes.
Ndo's diagonal ball into the area was side-footed off by Mark Quigley for Murphy to hook home from 10 yards. St Patrick's doubled their lead on 37 minutes. Ndo burst through on goal only to be stopped by the bravery of goalkeeper Dwayne Nelson but the alert Mark Quigley followed up to score.
There was precious little let-up from St Patrick's who maintained their focus into the second half, adding a third goal within 30 seconds. Former Cameroon international midfielder Ndo again was the instigator, threading a pass through for the run of O'Connor and he finished well from 12 yards. The best of the night was to come, though, from Kirby who scored his fifth of the competition - its leading scorer - when rifling home from 25 yards on 57 minutes.
Another cracking goal completed the rout five minutes later when Stephen Brennan scored with a shot from the edge of the area to the roof of the net as Dungannon simply had no answer.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC:Ryan; S Quigley (Rooney 60 mins.), C Foley, Maguire, Frost; Kirby, Brennan, Ndo (Fitzpatrick, 76 mins); Murphy, M Quigley (Lynch 67 mins), O'Connor.
DUNGANNON SWIFTS:Nelson; Wray, Montgomery, G Fitzpatrick, Gallagher; McGinn, T Fitzpatrick (Everaldo, h/t), McConkey, McCluskey (McCabe, 63 mins), Scullion (Gibson, 63 mins); Baron.
Referee: S Weatherall(Belfast).
