Bohemians found a way past Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds on Friday night.
Andre Wright’s strike ten minutes from time was enough to seal the win for an industrious Bohs outfit who inflicted upon the Bit O’Red, their first league defeat in six games.
Seeking to tighten that gap between themselves and the league leaders, it was the visitors who dictated much of the play in the opening half and who fashioned the early chances.
Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty was called into action five minutes in when Lewis Banks mis-controlled his attempted clearance at the edge of the Sligo area. Possession fell to ex-Sligo winger Kris Twardek who picked out the waiting Dawson Devoy, who was in turn denied by the sprawling Scot.
Devoy was offered another chance to open the scoring just 60 seconds later. But the ex-Home Farm youth could only drive wide from all of 15 yards.
Rovers then had to rely on acrobatics from Kyle McFadden whose overhead kick stopped the ball from going over the line after Twardek’s cross was poked towards goal by a Bohs player.
The home side, looking to continue their impressive post lock-down form, conjured up their first opportunity on 17 minutes. Will Seymore might have done better when he headed David Cawley’s corner past James Talbot’s post.
The Phibsboro men were back amongst the chances before the break. Danny Grant’s effort was deflected into the path of Wright, but the striker couldn’t apply the finishing touch with the goal at his mercy.
While McFadden was involved in front of his own posts again on 37 when he blocked down Grant’s well struck volley.
Both sides began the second period with headed chances. Ronan Coughlan first for Sligo, while Bohs’ Wright was next to miss the mark after he met Anto Breslin’s hanging ball from the left.
Good work from both Seymore and Junior provided Coughlan with Sligo’s next opening with just over an hour elapsed.
The sparse Showgrounds crowd took to their feet in anticipation as Coughlan found himself one-on-one with Talbot. But Coughlan’s poor finishing was his downfall as he fired wide with just the Bohs net-minder to beat.
McGinty was called on to get both hands behind Wright’s opportunistic shot on the turn with a quarter of an hour to go as Sligo continued to frustrate their opponents.
The Dubliners finally broke the deadlock on 80 when Wright was allowed ample space to connect with Devoy’s cross. The 23-year-old marksman tucking the ball past McGinty for his fourth goal of the campaign.
There was a late chance for Sligo, but the mis-firing Coughlan blazed over Seymore’s knockdown from a Cawley corner.
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Lewis Banks, Kyle McFadden, Teemu Penninkangas, Regan Donelon; David Cawley, Will Seymore (Ryan De Vries 90); Junior, Garry Buckley (Ronan Murray 81), Jesse Devers; Ronan Coughlan.
Bohemians: James Talbot; Andy Lyons, Dan Casey, Rob Cornwall, Anto Breslin; Conor Levingston, Keith Buckley; Kris Twardek, Dawson Devoy, Danny Grant; Andre Wright.
Referee: Rob Hennessy.