Bohemians 3
Sligo Rovers 1
Paul Buttner reports from Dalymount Park
BOHEMIANS CAME ALIVE in the second half with goals from Jonathan Afolabi, who scored twice, and Ali Coote getting them back to winning ways in the league.
A first victory in six league outings moved Declan Devine’s side back two points above Shelbourne into fourth place in the table to maintain their quest for Europe on two fronts.
But it was Sligo who settled the better initially, stretching the home defence on 16 minutes. Karl O’Sullivan and skipper David Cawley worked the ball to Reece Hutchinson whose cross picked out Fabrice Hartmann at the back post. The shot from a tight angle lacked sufficient power to trouble James Talbot.
Bohemians manager Declan Devine had bemoaned his side’s lack of cutting edge in recent games and it was evident here again early on.
That was until the 23rd minute when they were inches from taking the lead.
James McManus put Dylan Connolly away to cross for Afolabi whose first time shot struck the crossbar with Richard Brush gathering the dropping ball.
Lacklustre in the first half, Bohemians certainly had a little more purpose to them from the resumption, Sligo’s Greg Bolger, Garry Buckley and Fabrice Hartmann all yellow carded inside eight minutes.
And Bohemians’ bright restart brought its reward with the lead goal on 55 minutes.
McManus found the feet of Connolly who raced in behind, took the ball around Brush to pull it back superbly for Afolabi to blast home off the underside of the crossbar.
Afolabi and Clarke had half chances before Bohemians doubled their lead on 73 minutes.
Connolly’s pace again got him in behind following Bartlomiej Kukulowicz’s surging run.
This time Coote was on the end of the pull back to rifle low to the net.
Afolabi got his second on 84 minutes, once more in the right place to drill home after substitute Jordan Flores had got to the end line to set him up.
Sligo’s consolation came from a Pedro Martelo retaken penalty three minutes into stoppage time.
Bohemians: Talbot; Kukulowicz, Nowak, Radkowski, Kirk; Buckley, McManus (Grant, 76); Connolly (Flores, 76), Clarke (O’Sullivan, 83), Coote (Twardek, 83); Afolabi.
Sligo Rovers: Brush; Morahan, Buckley (Mahon, 75), Pijanker, Hutchinson; Cawley (Radosavljevic, 68), Bolger (Barlow, 53); O’Sullivan, Burton, Hartmann (Brannefalk, 74); Martelo.
Referee: Kevin Sullivan (Cork).
Attendance: 4,193.