All this talk of the championship coming down to goal difference may yet prove true as St Patrick's Athletic regained the lead for the third time in as many weeks.

The manner of this victory, however, is sure to crease a few foreheads in Cork ahead of next Friday's collision. Trevor Molloy and Martin Reilly had them two up before the break before Molloy's second and Stephen McGuinness well and truly finished Sligo by the end.

After Molloy opened the scoring after 18 minutes St Patrick's took control and the only question was who would score their next.

Reilly continued to have it all his own way and after a series of dangerous corners that went as close as they come, it was Reilly who eventually claimed the second a minute before the break when he placed a powerful header into the net following a perfect cross from Thomas Russell.

Sligo were then probably wishing the floodlights would go out in the second half as Jeff Clarke, Russell and Paul Osam all joined in the action around the goalmouth that constantly had Matthew Boswell in the air. Molloy, however, had little trouble finding his second when he followed an imaginative long ball from Colin Hawkins and a couple of touches later placed it completely out of Boswell's reach.

There was no let up after that either and just under 15 minutes from the end McGuinness completed one of the inevitable corners from Russell with an equally strong header that was never going to be stopped.

St Patrick's Athletic: Wood; Clarke, McGuinness, Lynch; Hawkins, Croly, Reilly, Russell; Morgan, Osam, Molloy. Subs: Campbell for Osam (73 mins), Braithwaite for Reilly (87 mins).

Sligo Rovers: Boswell; Marshell, Hutchinson, O'Grady, Charles; Birks, Kennedy, McGlynn, Hallows; Hoeks, Gallagher. Subs: Shannon for Hoeks (61 mins).

Referee: D O'Hanlon (Waterford).