Bohemians 0 Sligo Rovers 2
Ellis Chapman scored from inside his own half in the dying seconds to seal victory for Sligo Rovers who, with goalkeeper Ed McGinty unbeatable, hung on with 10 men for almost an hour to frustrate Bohemians at Dalymount Park.
Bohemians goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka had gone up into the Sligo box for a free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time as they chased Wilson Waweru’s first half lead goal.
But the ball never got there, the clearance falling to Chapman who burst forward to shoot from 70 yards and watch as the ball rolled into the unguarded Bohemians next.
It marked a third successive win for John Russell’s improving Sligo following big victories over Derry City and Shamrock Rovers.
With boos ringing in their ears as they trooped off, Bohemians are just four points above second bottom Dundalk, albeit with two games in hand, after one win now from eleven games.
With new Ireland men’s team manager Heimir Hallgrímsson an interested spectator, Bohemians spurned a real chance to take the lead with their first attack on 11 minutes.
A heavy first touch scarcely helping, James Clarke’s attempted dink was saved by McGinty after Ross Tierney played him in.
Despite having taken a grip on the game, loose play undone Bohemians on 36 minutes. Stephen Mallon and captain Niall Morahan worked the ball to Chapman whose fine forward pass found the run of Waweru.
The big striker raced between Cian Byrne and Flores before rounding Chorazka and sliding the ball to the net.
Sligo’s high from taking the lead was dampened within two minutes, though, when ex-Bohs man Mallon, booked after just two minutes, received a second yellow card for a foul on Tierney and was sent off.
With Declan McDaid and new signing Leigh Kavanagh on for Paddy Kirk and Jordan Flores at the break, Bohemians pinned Sligo back from the restart.
Adam McDonnell flashed a shot wide before McGinty saved well from a Dayle Rooney free kick. Minutes later McGinty excelled to push Clarke’s header from a McDaid cross round a post.
Try as they might Bohemians couldn’t find a way past McGinty who made further stops to deprive Tierney, Kavanagh and then Filip Piszczek while Charlie Wiggett cleared off the line
The visitors’ nerves could have been eased but for a dreadful miss by substitute Simon Power on 79 minutes when he blazed over with only Chorazka to beat.
McGinty then made perhaps the stop of the night to deprive Cian Byrne’s header before Chapman’s late cameo sealed the points.
Elsewhere, Galway United won the battle of the promoted sides when beating Waterford 1-0 at Eamonn Deacy Park, Pat Hickey with the only goal of the game in the first half.
A second half brace from Daryl Horgan helped Dundalk a 4-2 win over Drogheda United at Oriel Park to give Jon Daly’s side a five point cushion over their Louth neighbours at the foot of the table.
Bohemians: Chorazka; Miller, Byrne, Flores (Kavanagh, h-t), Kirk (McDaid, h-t); McDonnell (Meekison, 72); Grant (Piszczek, 63), Clarke (Greive, 63), Tierney, Rooney; Akintunde.
Sligo Rovers: McGinty; Wiggett, Pijnaker, Denham, Hutchinson; Morahan, Malley (Power, h-t), Chapman; Mallon, Waweru (Barlow, 61), Fitzgerald.
Referee: Marc Lynch (Galway United).
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