The game's only goal arrived on 27 minutes when Brendan McGill capitalised on a mistake by the Rovers defence, and scored with a delicate chip.

But Murphy was forced to pull off superb saves to deny David McDaid, Danny Ventre, Sean Doherty and Richie Ryan as Rovers gave as good as they got.

The home side started without both Seamus Coleman and Romuald Boco, who were on international duty, so Doherty and McDaid were brought into the side that drew with Drogheda last time out.

Stephen O'Donnell and Gary Deegan were suspended for Bohs, which meant McGill and Jason McGuinness earned recalls.

And McGill took his chance by opening the scoring, although the unlucky Rovers defence had a major part to play in the goal.

Mauro Almeida's miss-hit clearance fell to Thomas Heary, and though Richard Brush dealt with Heary's shot, his throw-out bounced back off the unprepared Chris Butler, and into the path of McGill.

The winger then showed great composure to chip the ball over the stranded keeper and into the net.

Prior to that, McDaid created the game's first chance with a skilful turn inside the area on six minutes, but his shot was smothered by Murphy.

The netminder was again to the rescue on ten minutes when he had to dive at full stretch to stop a 30-yard piledriver from Danny Ventre, after good work from Butler and Cretaro.

McGill almost got a second at the start of the second half, when he tested Brush's reflexes with a stinging shot.

But Murphy nearly turned culprit three minutes later when he spilled Brian Cash's free-kick inside the six-yard box, and Rovers eventually scrambled the ball over the line.

Luckily for Bohs, referee Ian Stokes saved Murphy's blushes by awarding the visitors a free out.

The Gypsies netminder was back to his brilliant best on 75 minutes when he pulled off a stunning save to deny Doherty from six yards after Cash crossed low from the right.

Rovers threw everything at the Dubliners in the final minutes, with strikers Paul McTiernan and Ciaran Greene coming off the bench, but the league-leaders worked hard to close out the game and secure their seventh successive victory.

Sligo Rovers: Brush, Ventre, Peers, Almeida, Butler, O'Grady, Cash, Ryan, Doherty (Greene 80), Cretaro, McDaid (McTiernan 80).
Subs not used: Curran, Keohane, Jennings.

Bohemians: Murphy, O Heary, Burns, Powell, Rossiter, McGuinness, T Heary, McGill, Brennan, Crowe, Byrne (Fenn 85).
Subs not used: Singh, Konopka, Kelly, McCarthy.

Ref: I Stokes.

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