A KELL OF A TRICK

DANIEL KELLY helped himself to a hat-trick as Dundalk saw off bottom of the table Finn Harps at Oriel Park.

Lilywhites head coach Vinny Perth was able to name Patrick Mceleney and Chris Shields in the starting XI for the first time since February.

But he was forced into a reshuffle after just 12 minutes when defender Brian Gartland staggered off after being left dazed and confused by Robert O’reilly’s flailing arm.

The Harps left-back almost silenced the natives when he guided Tony Mcnamee’s longthrow towards goal only to see Gary Rogers claw the ball to safety.

Harps boss Ollie Horgan (inset) lost Ciaran Gallagher to injury in the 28th minute, the keeper coming off with his arm in discomfort after a collision with Patrick Hoban. Dundalk made the breakthrough in the second of nine additional minutes at the end of the half when Kelly (above) met Michael Duffy’s cutback with a classy leftfooted finish from 18 yards.

The 22-year-old doubled his tally just 99 seconds after the restart, smacking an unstoppable right-footed effort into Peter Burke’s top corner.

Harps never really recovered from the setback of conceding so early in the half but Caolan Mcaleer saw a deflected effort almost loop over Gary Rogers.

Kelly completed his hat-trick with eight minutes to go when he swept the ball past Burke after a good team move involving Patrick Hoban and Sean Gannon.

And the former Bohemians man should have had a fourth before the end but he lost his footing just as he was ready to put the finishing touch to a Hoban pass.