League Report: Bohemians 1 - 2 Sligo Rovers

Brendan Graham reports from Dalymount Park

Romeo Parkes scored twice to give Sligo Rovers a smash-and-grab victory over an impressive Bohemians side at Dalymount Park on Friday night.

Conor Levingston had levelled for the Gypsies within minutes of Parkes’ opener but captain Derek Pender was sent off before the Jamaican sealed the points late on.

The home side settled more quickly into the game with midfielders Keith Ward and Danny Mandroiu linking up well together in an attempt to create an early chance or two in the game.

Within the opening ten minutes there were two lengthy stoppages of play with Bohs striker Dinny Corcoran and Sligo centre half Dante Leverock both being stretchered off with bad injuries.

Corcoran seemed to go over awkwardly on his ankle while Leverock received a nasty bang to the head in a clash with his own goalkeeper Ed McGinty in an attempt to clear the ball from danger.

The game took an age to get going again following the stoppages for injuries with the players from neither side not getting much of a chance to play football and create chances as a result of so many stoppages.

Rónán Coughlan and Parkes had half chances for Sligo during the remainder of the opening half but nothing to trouble James Talbot in the Bohemians goal.

The best chance of the half came into injury time in the first half when Danny Mandroiu stung the palms of McGinty with a shot from distance, a stop start half of football coming to an end after 63c minutes of play.

Sligo took the lead minutes into the second half as David Cawley saw the early run from Parkes and played a perfectly weighted ball over the top for the striker. Parkes skipped past Barry and slotted the ball into the corner of the net.

Two minutes later and Bohs were level. Midfielder Levingston ran onto the ball on the edge of the box before burying a fantastic strike low and hard past McGinty’s left and into the bottom corner of the net.

Bohs should have been ahead minutes later as a fantastic cross across the face of goal by Darragh Leahy was just missed by Ryan Swan and Levingston inches from the goal line. It flashed past the boots of both players and out for a goal kick.

With 20 minutes to go, and the game firmly in the melting pot, Bohs captain Derek Pender was issued a straight red card for a high tackle on Lewis Banks.

Pender appeared to try and clear the ball away with a volley but caught Banks high as the Sligo player attempted to challenge for the ball.

Despite going down to ten men Bohs were the better team for the remainder of the second half as they pushed forward and put Sligo under serious pressure in the closing stages.

Chances fell the way of Keith Ward and Danny Mandroiu from set pieces in the dying stages but they couldn’t convert when it mattered.

As the game entered the 90^th minute, and completely against the run of play, Sligo Rovers scored the winner with Parkes getting his second of the game.

As Bohs continued to pile the pressure on the Sligo back four, Levingston lost the ball on the edge of the box and Sligo were straight up the pitch on the counter attack.

Coughlan took the ball past Keith Ward and past the half way line before teeing up Parkes close to goal.

Parkes showed fantastic composure to turn Barry this way and that and still had plenty of work to do before calmly slotting the ball past Talbot to give Liam Buckley a late win in Dalymount Park.

Bohemians: James Talbot; Derek Pender, Darragh Leahy, Aaron Barry, James Finnerty, Kevin Devaney (Luke Wade-Slater 49), Conor Levingston, Keith Ward, Robbie McCourt (Scott Allardice 80); Danny Mandroiu, Dinny Corcoran (Ryan Swan 8)

Subs not used: Sean Bohan, Sam Byrne, Paddy Kirk, Michael Barker

Booked: Conor Levingston (45+14).

Sent off: Derek Pender (70).

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Lewis Banks, John Mahon, Dante Leverock (Kyle McFadden 27), Sam Warde; John Dunleavy (Regan Donelon 45 (Kris Twardek 65), Ronan Murray, David Cawley, Daryl Fordyce; Romeo Parkes, Ronan Coughlan

Subs not Used: Mitchell Beeney, John Russell, Jack Keany, Liam Kerrigan

Booked: David Cawley (74), John Mahon (80).

Referee: Neil Doyle.

Attendance: 2,353 (official).

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Romeo Parkes (Sligo Rovers).