A clinical display saw Bray Wanderers leapfrog to the top of the table after a stunning 5-0 win over erstwhile leaders Cobh Ramblers at the Carlisle Grounds on Saturday night.
Kieran O'Brien was Cobh's tormentor-in-chief with two goals while the crossbar deprived him of what would have been a deserved hat-trick.
O'Brien opened his account after six minutes when picking himself up after being fouled by Willie Byrne to slot home a penalty.
A sweeping move involving Colm Tresson and Jason Byrne set up Ciaran Ryan to shoot home Bray's second goal five minutes later.
Cobh might have got back into the match two minutes before the break but for a terrific double save by Bray's reserve goalkeeper Alan Young from Ciaran Dalton.
However, the match was all over as a contest a minute into the second-half when a speculative shot from Maurice Farrell took a deflection to beat John Donnegan in the Cobh goal to make it 3-0.
Byrne then volleyed home Bray's fourth from a Farrell freekick on 56 minutes before O'Brien, who hit the woodwork in between, completed the rout 11 minutes later with a 25 yard freekick.
Dundalk's miserable season continued when they were beaten by a last minute goal for the third time this season when losing 1-0 to Monaghan United at Oriel Park yesterday.
Having thought they had weathered their dreadful losing start to the season with their first points from a win in Kilkenny last week, Dundalk lost to a Roy Fox freekick, struck from 30 yards, with less then a minute of normal time remaining.
In truth, it was no more than Monaghan deserved as Fox had twice come close in the first half and Andy Myler wasted a chance on 69 minutes.
Dundalk did have their chances but David Ward and Brian Morrisroe wasted the best.
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