Finn Harps ... 0 St Patrick's Athletic ... 3:ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC got their title charge back on track as they recorded a comfortable win over Finn Harps at Finn Park last night to go back to the top of the table.

St Patrick's quickly took control against an error-prone Harps. Seán Roddy misjudged an attempted clearance in the eighth minute and the ball fell to Mark Quigley but his shot crashed off the bar and bounced on the line before being cleared.

Ryan Guy then sent a ball across the Harps goalmouth before Quigley was guilty of another bad miss.

The Inchicore side finally made the breakthrough on 25 minutes when Keith Fahey pounced to drill the ball home from 12 yards.

A minute before the break they got their second as Quigley pounced on another defensive error to score.

St Patrick's continued to hold the upper hand after the break and their efforts were rewarded with a third goal after a fine, sweeping six-man move that ended with Gary O'Neill surging into the box and rounding Gavin Cullen before placing the ball into the net on 69 minutes.

FINN HARPS: Cullen, Roddy, Holmes, Labonte, Malcolm, Shields, Brolly (Funston 73 mins), McGowan, Parkhouse (Ramsey 73 mins), Gethins, Williams.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Clarke, Lynch, O'Cearuill (Haverty 83 mins), Partridge, Paisley, Guy, Dempsey, Fahey (Keane 83 mins), Byrne (Kirby 71 mins), O'Neill, Quigley.

Referee: D Hancock (Dublin).