As the wheels fell off Derry City’s title push, Shamrock Rovers hit cruise control and pulled further clear at the top.
What was a seven-point lead going into this stroll in the park against Shelbourne is now an eight-point advantage.
But it’s Dundalk who are the new chasers in second spot, having leapfrogged the Candystripes who continue to unravel at pace.
The fact in-form Dundalk have a game in hand on the Hoops offers neutrals some hope that the title race won’t become a procession with half the season still to play.
But going into the summer break this morning, it’s hard to see how Rovers will be stopped in their pursuit of three league titles in-a-row.
They got the job done here - with first-half goals from Richie Towell and Rory Gaffnety - without being brilliant, but they didn’t have to be.
Maybe a resurgent Dundalk will put it up to them this year where others have tried and failed to last the pace.
But notwithstanding their shock defeat in Drogheda on Monday, Rovers are swatting aside the challengers with a familiar sense of ease.
Having won their last four games before this, Shels had grown accustomed to getting things their own way of late.
And Damien Duff’s side arrived here with pep in their step.
But they knew after 66 seconds that this wouldn’t be their night as Richie Towell opened the scoring on the break, in a one-sided opening half.
Graham Burke scorched past Luke Byrne on the halfway line and played in Gaffney out wide and his low cross - dummied by Dylan Watts - was turned home by Towell first time.
It was a fine, sweeping move at pace and put Shels on the backfoot with Duff’s side huffing and puffing at best and rarely causing panic in the Rovers rearguard.
Not that the Hoops were pulling up any trees on the front foot, although Brendan Clarke did keep out an angled Gaffney drive.
But Clarke was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons moments later when the Hoops doubled their lead on 31 minutes.
Andy Lyons teed up Gaffney and while his low shot on the turn packed a punch, the keeper should have done better as the ball squirmed through his hands.
And with that, Shels were goosed.
Pico Lopes nearly made it three for the hosts before the break, but couldn’t connect cleanly enough on a diving header from a Watts corner.
Although it was one-way traffic, Shels never quit. Duff, a ball of energy as he patrolled the sideline, wouldn’t allow it.
He demanded more and more from his team, and they rallied before the break but the chances were scrappy at best.
Ronan Finn’s block in the box on 17-year-old Jad Hakiki was vital, as the Shels attacker looked to latch onto Jack Moylan’s cross.
And Sean Boyd, a former Hoop, was well placed when meeting Shane Farrell’s deep cross but, stooping low, the header went askew.
Rovers continued to dominate into the second-half but rarely set pulses racing with what they dished up.
Still, Clarke saved well at close range to deny Gaffney a second while Aaron O’Driscoll bravely blocked Watts’ blasted follow-up.
And he made another fine save to keep out a Finn thunderbolt from the penalty spot, after the Hoops skipper saw his first attempt blocked.
But the writing had been on the wall from the very first minute when Towell scored early doors and Shels never laid a glove on them, failing to register a shot on target.
After their blip in Drogheda, normal service has resumed.
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