Bohemian Football Club Crest

Bohemians closed ominously on the league leaders with a comfortable victory over mid-table Sligo Rovers.

It was just the result the Gypsies needed before facing a massively important return leg against the New Saints next week. Manager Pat Fenlon had the luxury of being able to take off Paul Keegan and Paddy Madden in order to keep them fresh for Tuesday’s champions league qualifier. Sligo had good chances early in the first half and soon after they were caught on the counter-attack. It was an uphill task for them then and Ken Oman killed off their challenge with a stooping header on the hour mark.

After the frustration of the deserted game at Drogheda United this was a sweet victory for the Dalymount Park side. Prior to this encounter, Paul Cook’s side had won four of the past seven league matches. It will be interesting to see whether Cook sticks around to see Bohemians play Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow, the club Cook remained at the longest in his much-travelled playing career.

Joseph Ndo, warmly welcomed back to Dublin after a successful 12 months here, almost earned an assist on five minutes. Midfielder John Russell made contact with Ndo’s corner but his header flew wide of the back post.

Goalkeeper Richard Brush produced a brilliant reflex save to prevent his defender Gavin Peers from putting into his own net from Powell’s dangerous cross. Brush had half a second in which to stick out a hand as Peers was no more than three feet in distance away when miscuing. Moments later on 18 minutes Barry Murphy had outdone his opposite number. The ball fell out to Scottish defender Jim Lauchlan who struck a beautiful 30-yard half-volley Murphy pushed onto the outside of the post.

Surely the Connaught side were to going to rue these close calls as Pádraig Amond missed his side’s best chance to date. Ndo’s curling cross found its way to an unmarked Amond who somehow headed well wide from six yards.

Bohemians boss Pat Fenlon reasserted a long held belief of his that when Sligo have an almost full squad to choose from, as they do now, they are one of the strongest teams in the country. That’s true but they still found themselves in arrears on 28 minutes. Paddy Madden’s bobbling cross came through a forest of legs and out nicely to Paul Keegan who struck home from 15 yards for a rare goal.

A training ground move almost paid off in which Ruaidhrí Higgins cleverly squared his free-kick to Mark Quigley instead of shooting. Quigley had pulled into a good shooting position inside the area but blazed over.

On 51 minutes Keegan sought a second goal with a low, drilled effort from the edge of the area went a yard wide of the near post. Raffaele Cretaro, being roundly booed by his one-time supporters in the Jodi Stand, went so close to silencing them. Quigley delivered a pinpoint cross-field pass to Cretaro, whose excellent first touch put him through on goal, but his chipped finish went inches over the crossbar.

Instead it was Oman who struck the killer second goal for the resurgent hosts. Brush was at fault as he left the line in his attempt to claim a ball he was never going to take, which allowed Oman to head Quigley’s delivery into an empty net. Bohemians ran the clock down with ease after that.

Bohemians: Murphy; Shelley, Heary (C), Oman, Powell; McGlynn, Higgins, Keegan (Cronin, 74), Quigley (Brennan, 90); Cretaro, Madden (Byrne, 80)

Sligo Rovers: Brush, Keane, Peers, Lauchlan, Davoren; Doyle, Russell, Ryan (C), Dillon (McCabe, 59), Ndo; Amond.

Possession - Bohs: 53% Sligo: 47%

Attempts on target - Bohs: 3 Sligo: 4

Attempts off target - Bohs: 2 Sligo: 7

Corners - Bohs: 1 Sligo: 5

Bookings - Bohs: Paul Keegan Sligo: Jim Lauchlan

Referee - Dave McKeon (Dublin)