HOW the mighty fall. In truth, Bohemians' flyer of a start was probably no more misleading than the current run of one point from three games. However the paucity of their second half performance against Sligo at Dalymount Park will have concerned Turlough O'Connor and the hardcore home fans desperate for a first title in 19 years.
Where before the leaders were grinding out results when not playing especially well, they never hinted at doing this last night. Sligo presented them with what you would expect of any Rovers side nowadays - an honest, energetic, organised effort. By the end, they had won comfortably enough.
Sligo were not without some classy performers, James Mulligan's work rate, close control and lightening speed providing Bohemians with almost the equivalent of two men to mark. Ahead from the 53rd minute, it enabled Sligo to defend in depth, yet always have an `out'.
Equally impressive was the stylish and accomplished 24 year old Ryan Cross, a footballing fullback. He and the livewire Johnny Kenny linked tellingly along the right, Cross contributing handsomely to the two second half goals Sligo plundered to move within a point of Bohemians. Alas, it was the ex Bury player's last game for the club before returning to England to join Lincoln. He'll be missed.
In truth, for all Mulligan's pace and trickery, and the good work from their right, this wasn't a vintage counter attacking Rovers display - nothing like the first half at Richmond Park last month. But, in a poor game not helped by the weather, it didn't have to be.
The first half, especially, had its longeurs, both sides compressing play into the middle third as they squeezed the life out of the game. Bohemians had much the better of things, pushing forward in greater numbers, with Brian Mooney roving from his right flank, and created sporadic half chances, culminating in a reasonably concerted bout of pressure as the half wore on. But the loss at the interval of Peter Hanrahan, with a thorn muscle, disrupted their rhythm.
Neither Derek Swan nor Paul Doolin could convert centres by Kevin Brady and Mooney, before the latter failed to put away Hanrahan's near post flick on from a 26th minute Tony O'Connor corner. Alan O'Neill, daftly, tried to round Hanrahan and was booked after hauling him down. before Eoin Mullen and Mooney came in from the flanks to fire over, the latter's effort fizzing just too high.
One ambitious Johnny Kenny effort apart, Sligo had hardly counted as an attacking threat but, straight after the interval, Padraig Moran and Mulligan signalled their greater intent when combining to give Gareth O'Sullivan a crossing chance which saw Kevin Brady defend alertly.
After 53 minutes they struck, Dave Henderson partially clearing an inswinging Moran corner before blocking an adroit shot on the turn by Cross. Moran gathered the rebound on the edge of the area, stepping inside one tackle before beating Henderson with a low drive which deflected off James Coll.
Prematurely, desperation crept into the home crowd's urgings, and hurriedness into Bohemians' play. Mulligan outsprinted Robbie Best to test Henderson on the break before the game turned, as it so often does, on incidents in quick succession at either end after 69 and 71 minutes.
Although John McDermott, untypically, didn't initially see Sean Brady's raised flag, the linesman had clearly signalled Mooney was offside before he converted Paul Doolin's cross with a glancing header. McDermott was duly prevailed upon to reverse his decision to point to half way.
Almost immediately, Mulligan spread a counter attack wide to Kenny, who picked out Cross's well timed run inside him. The full back broke into the area, the ball breaking inside him where Lee Thew was one of three Sligo players hovering for the decisive finish. Henderson had no chance.
