Quigley's hat-trick sinks Bray

AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION:INSPIRED BY a brilliant first-half hat-trick by striker Mark Quigley, Dundalk eased their way to fifth place in the Premier Division table with a comfortable victory at the Carlisle Grounds last night.

Quigley was on target after just 10 minutes when, accepting a pass from Keith Ward, he ran unchallenged from his own half before calmly planting the ball past goalkeeper Matt Gregg from 15 yards.

The Seagulls were level on 26 minutes when a cross by Chris Shields on the right was headed home by the unmarked Danny O’Connor at the far post.

Disaster struck Bray on the 29th minute when defender Joe Kendrick was shown the red card by Cork referee Anthony Buttimer after he adjudged there had been a foul on Quigley inside the box. Quigley took the spot-kick himself, calmly shooting low past Gregg.

And he grabbed his 14th competitive goal of the season seconds before the interval when his effort from the edge of the box slipped through the legs of Gregg and into the net.

Dundalk dominated the second half and Mark Griffin added a fourth goal on 67 minutes after Quigley had produced a defence-splitting pass.

The icing on the cake came in the third minute of added-time when Keith Ward unleashed a brilliant effort from 25 yards that struck the upright and rebounded into the net to make it a sad three defeats in a row for Bray.

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg, S O'Connor, Last (Webster 45), Prendergast, Kendrick; Shields, Dempsey, D O'Connor (Houston 70), Massey; Murphy, Mulroy (O'Neill 56).

D O’Connor 26

DUNDALK: Cherrie, Madden, Bennett, Guthrie, Murphy; Kearns ( Maher 74), Ward. Bolger, Gaynor; Quigley (Kerr 86), Griffin (Breen 76).

Quigley 10, 30 pen, 43

Griffin 68

Ward 90

Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).

Friday (7.45pm unless stated)

– Bray Wanderers v Sligo Rovers; Drogheda Utd v Derry City; Dundalk v Bohemians; Galway Utd v UCD. Sunday – Shamrock Rovers v St Patricks Athletic, 2pm.

First Division

Friday (7.45pm unless stated) – Limerick v Mervue Utd; Waterford Utd v Longford Town; Athlone Town v Wexford Yths; Monaghan Utd v Shelbourne (8pm). Saturday – Finn Harps v Cork City, 6pm.