Saints held just a 2-1 lead at the first quarter break but from there they began to take the game away from the visitors at Bob Roach Field.

Jaden Ekert scored a hat trick, hitting the mark twice from short corners before putting the icing on the cake with a goal just 10 seconds out from full-time.

"It was nice to put a few on the board and build a bit of confidence, but the way we played was more pleasing than the result itself," St Pat's coach Shane Conroy said.

"We stuck to our structures really well. Whatever we implemented at each break we executed it.

"I thought Ryan Neale probably had one of his best games he's had in Premier League. Darcy Davis is heading off overseas so this was his last game. He'll be a big loss for us. I thought he had an outstanding game."

Wanderers got off to a flying start with both Bailey Ferguson and Keegan Brooke creating several chances to score in the early minutes.

However, it was Pat's who got the ball rolling in the sixth minute.

The team's first short corner attempt was denied but Saints earned a repeat attempt, and Ekert flicked the ball into the top right to open the account.

Wanderers were quick to respond when Luke Skelton broke into the left side of the Pat's circle and scored.

Brent Naylor manoeuvred his way around a Wanderers defender to create a one-on-one opportunity against Jakob Skelton but the Orange goalkeeper deflected the rocket strike.

Naylor was successful on his next trip into the Wanderers circle when he deflected a pass home in the dying seconds of the first quarter.

Following an early unsuccessful Wanderers short corner the possession began to swing heavily towards the hosts.

Pat's took a 3-1 lead into half-time courtesy of an excellent team goal finished off by Davis.

Saints sunk the dagger into the Wanderers early in the third quarter with a pair of goals in less than a minute.

Those goals came from an Ekert short corner shot and a close range finish from Blake Davis.

Wanderers' Michael Sturt missed an opportunity from close range to cut the deficit back and the team were immediately punished by a Neale goal up the other end.

Neale and Ekert piled on the pain with goals in the final quarter.

"They made the most of their opportunities. Their finishing was better than ours today," Mark Penguilly said of the Saints.

"In general I thought the guys played really well. Basics killed us there today, so we have to work on that. You can't afford to have the ball bouncing off the stick and getting picked off by the others.

"Pat's were just far more hungrier for the ball than we were."