They really should have learned by now but, in any case, the Rovers fans got another lesson on the dangers of tempting fate yesterday at the Showgrounds when the taunts of "reject" directed at their former striker Ian Gilzean came back to haunt them . . . once again.

On his first visit to the northwest after signing for the Dubliners the big Englishman silenced the jeers from the Shed with a hat-trick and this time he wasn't too far off repeating the trick - two goals and a neat flick that set up a third for Martin Reilly, plunging Rovers deeper into relegation trouble and helping Liam Buckley's side to within a point of the leaders Cork.

Afterwards the talk in the St Patrick's camp all centred on next weekend's crunch trip to Cork. Buckley's side believe they have every chance going top of the league. They'll certainly draw some confidence from the similarity of the build up, for a week before they overran City at Richmond Park they took Sligo Rovers to the cleaners there. The score? 4-1. The scorers? Well, Gilzean (of course), Colin Hawkins - who got the last yesterday too, and Martin Reilly who came off the bench that night too.

Even more strangely, the encounter in Dublin was, like yesterday's game, still scoreless at half-time with little suggestion at the break of what was to follow. On this occasion the condition of the pitch was clearly one of the main reasons for the poor quality of the football produced over the opening period but it could hardly explain away all of the two sides' shortcomings.

Gradually, though, the champions' strength began to tell. They had the brighter ideas and greater composure on the ball.

In the end, despite the scoreline, it may not have been their most convincing performance but it must have been a pleasing one for Buckley who was saw his men first come to grips with their opponents and then, bit by bit, take them apart.

The home side's cause wasn't helped much by the fact that they posed so meagre a threat up front themselves. At the heart of their defence the recently arrived Wesley Charles looks to be an impressive addition to the Rovers panel but up front the newly acquired Johnny Hoecks appears far less convincing.

When marketing his client to the club the Dutchman's agent is said to have guaranteed that his man would bag 15 goals by the end of the season. One suspects that if it was the type of undertaking that comes with a "or your money back" then Rovers will at least not be out of pocket for his services because yesterday he looked decidedly inferior to Reid's existing striking options.

His one successful moment, to be fair, involved a headed flick on of Mattie Hare's cross from the right that set up Mark Hutchison for the home side's equaliser after 65 minutes.

In the circumstances his striking partner, Marcus Hallows, could hardly have hoped to have much of an impact. And he didn't, although getting the game's opening shot in the fifth minute didn't seem to much to ask given the time and space he was given.

After that, what passed for first half chances came at the other end and picking the ball out of the net after Hutchison's goal was the sum total of Trevor Wood's work during the second. Nicky Broujos, though, was kept increasingly busy as the match progressed and after his defence's failure to clear first Trevor Croly's and then Trevor Molloy's crosses had led to Gilzean's first goal it had taken a couple of decent saves from him to keep the locals in it.

Within four minutes of the equaliser, however, he was beaten again, his former team-mate this time setting up Reilly for a volley from eight yards out. Gilzean finished the third himself, heading home Croly's cross from close range after Broujos had committed himself but failed to reach the ball and the right wing back was the provider for the fourth as well, Hawkins this time slotting the cross home in the 93rd minute.

Sligo Rovers: Broujos; Sheridan, Charles, Hare; Callaghan, McLynn, Ogden, Reid, Hutchison; Hallows, Hoecks. Subs: Shannon for Hoecks (70 mins).

St Patrick's Athletic: Wood; McGuinness, Lynch, Hawkins; Croly, Gormley, Osam, Russell, Doyle; Molloy, Gilzean. Subs: Reilly for Molloy (68 mins), Burke for Doyle (83 mins). Referee: D O'Hanlon (Waterford).