Central defender Dan Cleary scored twice to top and tail a comfortable victory for Dundalk at the UCD Bowl to edge the champions another step closer to retaining their title.
Dundalk are now unbeaten in 19 league games, 24 in total against domestic opposition.
A sixth straight league defeat leaves UCD six points adrift at the foot of the table, and they’ve now played a game more than second bottom Finn Harps.
Vinny Perth showed the depth of his Dundalk squad with seven changes from Monday’s 3-0 home win over the same opposition as they expectedly dominated from the off, taking the lead on 13 minutes.
Sean Murray arced over Dundalk’s third corner of the game for the unmarked Cleary to power his header past keeper Conor Kearns.
Murray won and delivered another corner four minutes later, this time picking out Cleary’s central defensive partner Hoare, again poorly marked, who planted his header to the net.
While Dundalk continued to have plenty of the ball into the second half, they laboured to create much before extending their lead on 70 minutes.
Michael Duffy was sprung from the bench and immediately invigorated their attack.
Four minutes after his introduction, the winger skipped through the inside left channel to rifle a shot past Kearns at his near post.
Georgie Kelly added Dundalk fourth goal on 90 minutes, looping a header past Kearns from Cleary’s cross.
Cleary then had the final say two minutes into added time with a near post headed finish from Duffy’s corner.
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