Sligo Rovers 2 Bohemians 1:EOIN DOYLE'S dramatic, 71st-minute strike ended Bohemians' ambitions of a double double at the Showgrounds last night.
Bohemians led through a first-half strike from Glen Cronin but lost their advantage when Ronauld Boco and Raffaele Cretaro were given far too much space in front of goal in the 67th minute, allowing skipper Conor O’Grady to level matters from close range.
Four minutes later Doyle’s shot flew past Bohemians’ goalkeeper Brian Murphy for Sligo’s winner
Substitute Gary Deegan almost drew the sides level after 83 minutes but the ball went narrowly wide, with Richard Brush beaten.
Bohemians threw everything at the home side in the closing minutes with the best chance falling to Paddy Madden, who saw his shot brilliantly blocked by Brush in stoppage time.
The first half belonged to the visitors. Cronin went close in the third minute before Killian Brennan had a blasting shot put out for a corner after 15 minutes.
A diving save by Brush denied Paddy Madden on 25 minutes, but the cup holders had to endure an anxious moment when the lively Joe Kendrick forced Murphy to produce a smart save.
Bohemians took the lead two minutes from half-time. Brush saved a Madden effort but the ball fell kindly for Cronin to shoot home.
SLIGO ROVERS: Brush, Boco, Kendrick, Peers, Camano, O'Grady, Cash (Morrison 61), Ventre, Blinkhorn, Cretaro (Keane 64), Doyle.
BOHEMIANS: Murphy, Rossiter (Crowe 88), Shelley, McGuinness (A Murphy 35), Powell, Brennan (Deegan 80), Cronin, Keegan, Ndo, Byrne, Madden.
Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).
