Teenager Marc Guiu netted a first-half hat-trick as Chelsea dominated Shamrock Rovers, securing top spot in the Conference League table and denying their opponents an automatic knockout stage spot.
Already guaranteed a last-16 place, Enzo Maresca’s youthful Chelsea made it six wins from six.
Guiu opened the scoring after a mix-up between Darragh Burns and goalkeeper Leon Pohls.
Rovers briefly leveled through Markus Poom’s deflected shot, but Guiu quickly restored Chelsea’s lead by capitalizing on Daniel Cleary’s poor back pass.
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added a third before Guiu completed his treble with a header just before halftime.
Marc Cucurella rounded off the win in the second half with a precise strike off the post.
Rovers now face the knockout phase play-offs, with the draw set for Friday.
Elsewhere, Tomas Cosgrove’s second-half goal helped Larne finish their Uefa Conference League campaign on a high by securing a historic 1-0 win over Gent at Windsor Park.
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