Bottom-of-the-table Dublin City suffered another despairing eircom League defeat tonight as Shamrock Rovers triumphed 4-0 at Tolka Park thanks to a Stephen Grant hat-trick.
Rooted to the foot of the table with 13 points from 17 matches, the Dubliners held their own in the first half but fell apart after the break.
Striker Grant gave them a 51st-minute lead and then stretched that advantage to 2-0 four minutes later.
David Mooney put the game out of Dublin's reach in the 71st minute, with Grant completing his treble a couple of minutes later.
Rovers remain a mid-table outfit, with these three points nudging them up one place from sixth to fifth in the 10-team league.
