National League Premier Division/Bohemians 1 Cork City 2: Cork came to Dublin for this game at Dalymount less intent on providing Halloween fireworks for their growing band of travelling supporters than preventing Friday's slip-up turning into a slide. As it turned out they managed both and while Dan Murray only secured the win five minutes from time, crucially, Damien Richardson's side banked all three points to get their title challenge firmly back in gear.

To judge by the celebrations at the end it would have been easy to assume that all of their ambitions for the season had already been realised but Richardson maintained that he was not getting carried away, even if quite a few of those around him were, as he spoke a few yards from the visiting team's dressingroom.

"Bohs got the perfect start," observed the City boss, "but I was so proud of the way we worked our way back into it. There were big individual performances but the collective display showed again just how much we want to be successful."

Deserved as City's win was on the balance of play, the outcome must have seemed a little harsh on a home side that had given its all and obliged the southerners to step their game up a couple of gears as it became increasingly clear they were playing a team of some quality determined, after two previous defeats by Cork this season, to prove itself.

For Bohemians, of course, the rewards for a near perfect run in will be considerably less than those available to Cork. Still, Gareth Farrelly's men showed just as much fire in their bellies in a game that firmly grabbed the attention of the crowd from very early on before fading in the second period and then producing a thrilling closing spell.

It delighted the locals in the opening minutes as the home side took just four to take the lead courtesy of young Stephen Ward, who completed a neat exchange of passes with his player-manager before steering the ball past Michael Devine.

Alan Bennett managed to scramble back to block but the centre back could do no more than alter the spot where the ball crossed the line and after the cheering had died down you could sense the apprehension at the Cork end of the main stand.

The City players reacted positively to the setback, however. Colin O'Brien had his work cut out to anchor the team in central midfield where Farrelly and Kevin Hunt moved the ball around well but he coped well as George O'Callaghan pulled the strings creatively and Joe Gamble and Liam Kearney sought to get forward down the flanks.

With John O'Flynn missing, as he may be for the season's remaining games after aggravating a groin strain during the pre-match warm up on Friday, Roy O'Donovan partnered Neale Fenn in attack where City proved quite effective with both men testing the home side's defence.

Matt Gregg did more than most to preserve his side's lead, producing a couple of fine saves during the opening 20 minutes.

But his role in the equaliser comfortably overshadowed all the good work with the goalkeeper haplessly misjudging an attempt to trap a rushed back pass from Ken Oman and then watching helplessly as the ball rolled another 15 yards and bounced in off the foot of the right-hand post.

Bohemians made the brighter start to the second period but then found themselves on the back foot for most of what remained of the game.

When the life went out of the contest Richardson intervened, introducing Billy Woods and Denis Behan, both of whom made the desired impact. But it wasn't until the closing stages that the breakthrough came with Woods's corner from the right headed down by Murray for O'Callaghan to shoot.

The effort was blocked on the line but Murray followed up, firing home from a very acute angle to put a gloss on what he admitted afterwards had been his worst performance of the season.

Halfway through four frantic minutes of stoppage time Aidan O'Keeffe came within inches of grabbing an equaliser for Bohemians with a close-range effort that came back of the post but City's nerve as well, as their good fortune, held and they retain the initiative in what remains an enthralling championship run in.

"We had a bit of luck all right," conceded Richardson afterwards, "but I've long since learned that you have to force things so that the luck goes your way. If you look at the game, the back pass that led to the goal, we put him under pressure; the one that came back off the upright in injury-time, Michael (Devine) got a touch.

After Friday night," he added, "we needed to win that game for our own pride as much as anything." Never mind the pride, it's points that make prizes.

BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Rice, Oman (Palmer, 56 mins), Collins, Byrne; Harkin, Hunt, Farrelly, Kelly (O'Keeffe, 85 mins); Grant, Ward.

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; Gamble, O'Brien, O'Callaghan, Kearney (Woods, 78 mins); Fenn (Behan, 78 mins), O'Donovan.

Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).