Away wins don't come any easier than this in a match that epitomised the season to date for both teams.

St Patrick's are unbeaten away from home while Galway haven't won before their increasingly disenchanted fans. And there was never any doubt that would change as Pat Dolan's side made it five wins from seven games since losing for the only time this season at Cork City over a month ago. For Galway, the table doesn't lie.

Charles Mbabazi Livingstone can do no wrong for St Patrick's these days and the lively Ugandan gave his side an eighth-minute lead with a wonderfully conceived and executed goal - the fourth game in a row in which he has scored. Paul Marney played a one-two with Liam Kelly to put Mbabazi in and he unleashed a superb drive past Mark Cobey.

It was 2-0 on 21 minutes when Darragh Maguire looped home a header from Martin Russell's corner with Mike Quirke merely helping it over the line as he tried to head it clear.

Now in complete disarray at the back, Galway conceded another goal seven minutes later. Cobey had initially done well to tip Russell's free-kick out for a corner. But the marking from Russell's flag kick was non-existent as Colm Foley ran to the near post to glance home with his head.

Overworked as he was, you could only feel for Cobey as he conceded a very soft fourth goal on 40 minutes. Mbabazi set-up Gavin Doyle, making his first start of the season, and his weak shot squirmed under the body of the goalkeeper and into the net to just about sum-up Galway's night.

GALWAY UNITED: Cobey; Sheridan, Silke, Clery, B. Byrne; O'Brien, Ryan, Herrick, Fortune, Quirke; O'Shaughnessy. Subs: Carberry for Byrne (half-time), Crossley and Keogh for Ryan and Keogh (both 63 mins.).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Kelly; Croly, Maguire, Foley, Donnelly; Osam, Marney, Russell; Mbabazi, Kelly, Doyle. Subs: McCarthy for Doyle (69 mins.), Holt for Kelly (77 mins.), McGuinness for Russell (85 mins.).

Referee: A Kelly (Cork).