An injury and suspension hit Sligo Rovers came away from Dalymount Park with nothing despite coming from two early goals down to level this game at the break.
Strikes from Colm Whelan and Ross Tierney had Bohs ahead with just five minutes elapsed, but a gallant Rovers fought back to deservedly level this Premier Division courtesy of Francely Lomboto’s first goal for the club on 24 minutes before Owen Elding registered his third of the year five minutes later.
Already without eight players, the Bit O’Red were hit further with an injury to Ollie Denham early on, while both Harvey Lintott and Ryan Manning had to be withdrawn due to knocks in the second period.
This took its toll on a hard working Sligo who found themselves going behind again on 74 minutes when Tierney hit his second, while Dawson Devoy secured the points for the hosts in the sixth minute of added time.
John Russell’s charges found the going tough in the opening minutes. A third minute set piece from Conor Walsh’s right side was initially repelled at his front post, but the Mayo man and his defence could do little to stop Whelan who finished into an open goal from the rebound.
Worryingly, Bohs doubled the lead on five. Devoy the supplier as Tierney provided a classy finish into the opposite corner of Walsh’s net.
Hit by the loss of Jad Hakiki, John Mahon, Cian Kavanagh and Jake Doyle-Hayes due to suspensions and Wilson Waweru and Stephen Mallon through injury, Rovers didn’t dwell on the negatives and roared back into this game on 24. On his first start, Ronan Manning teed up former Galway teammate Lomboto with a well weighted through ball. The striker keeping calm to slot the ball under Bohs goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka to halve the deficit.
Buoyed by this, it was all Rovers for the rest of the half despite the loss of Denham. Manning and Elding both had Chorazka concerned before the former got himself another assist as Rovers had their second.
A beautifully struck volleyed past from inside his own half, Manning set the ball into the path of Elding who guided the ball around Chorazka before finishing into the gaping net.
Walsh pulled off a stunning reaction save to deny Whelan a brace early in the second period while the same man got down to deny Tierney again in the lead up to the hour mark.
The pressure and loss of further men due to injury, finally told when Tierney’s smart touch inside the Rovers area provided him with the space to rifle a shot into the corner of Walsh’s net. While a tired mis-touch from Gareth McElroy allowed Devoy the time to negotiate a well hit chip over the stranded Walsh.
Rovers are back at home on Saturday, April 12th with the visit of Galway United for a much anticipated Connacht derby. Kick-off is 7.45pm.
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; John Mountney, Alex Lacey (Liam Kavanagh 37), Sean Grehan (Liam Smith, 90), Jordan Flores (Lys Mousset 58); Niall Morahan, James McManus; Dayle Rooney, Dawson Devoy, Ross Tierney (Keith Buckley 90); Collie Whelan (James Clarke 90).
Sligo Rovers: Conor Walsh; Oskar van Hattum (Harvey Lintott h-t; Daire Patton 51), Ollie Denham (Conor Reynolds 20), Gareth McElroy, Reece Hutchinson; Mattie Wolfe, Connor Malley; Ronan Manning (Kyle McDonagh 67), Owen Elding, Will Fitzgerald; Francely Lomboto.
Referee: David Dunne (Dublin).
Attendance: 4,289.
David Goulden