Cork City pulled level with Bohemians in the Premier Division thanks to a 1-0 defeat of Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
However, they will still need to beat the Dubliners at Turner's Cross in next Friday’s final game to claim third spot in the table.
Sean Kelly’s 69th minute header, following Leon McSweeney’s corner, proved the difference between the teams as Rovers wasted a number of decent chances.
The home side showed two changes to the side that drew with Shamrock Rovers last week, with Matthew Judge and Seamus Coleman returning in place of Brian Cash and the soon-to-be-departing Adam Hughes.
But they were forced into an early change as Cash came on for Raffaele Cretaro, who felt the full effects of a bad challenge from Cork's John O'Flynn – a tackle that earned the striker an early booking.
Cash was immediately involved and his 14th-minute cross picked out Judge close to goal, but the striker saw a point-blank header stopped on the line by Cork keeper Michael Devine.
Judge also had an earlier chance when he raced onto Tommy Arcaba's kick-out, but his attempted chip over Devine drifted over the top.
Fahrudin Kuduzovic also tested Devine with a snapshot, but Cork had the better chances in a lively opening.
Leon McSweeney continued were he left off against Bohs in the FAI Cup as he tormented Sligo down the right.
A slip from James Meredith let the winger get a shot on target on four minutes, and two minutes later, his cross picked out Denis Behan in the area, only for the striker to see his shot blocked by the Rovers defence.
McSweeney also teed up Gareth Farrelly on 24 minutes, but the midfielder’s strike was well saved by Arcaba.
But the best chance of the half fell to Rovers on 32 minutes, when Judge’s sublime back-flick picked out the run of Cash, and he squared it for Matthew Gordon, only for the Australian to get the ball caught under his feet, as Cork recovered.
Behan did have a half-chance before the break, but he put his snapshot high and wide from inside the area.
Cork changed it round at the break and brought Admir Softic in for O’Flynn, pushing McSweeney up front.
The intensity remained high for the second-half, with Rovers making ground down the left on a couple of occasions, only for the final ball into the box to let them down.
Cash worked his way into area on the other wing and drew a save from Devine with a close-range strike, but the goalkeeper was untroubled by the effort.
Cork put the pressure on after the hour-mark, and earned a number of free-kicks and corners in quick succession. And they made the breakthrough from a set-piece, as McSweeney curled a corner to the back post, and Kelly was well-positioned to head home after the ball was knocked back.
Rovers reacted by sending Mark Boyd on for Gary Curran, and they had a great chance to pull level when Kuduzovic chipped a ball over the top and centre-back Gavin Peers saw his effort hit the side-netting.
Full-back James Meredith also had a good chance with ten minutes remaining after he broke into the area, but his effort was palmed away by Devine.
Sligo Rovers: Arcaba, Coleman, Peers, MacKenzie, Meredith, Cretaro (Cash 12), O’Grady, Curran (Boyd 70), Gordon, Judge (McLoughlin 82), Kuduzovic.
Subs not used: Brush, Foy.
Cork City: Devine, Horgan, Murray, Murphy, Kelly, Farrelly, Kearney, Healy, McSweeney, O’Flynn (Softic 45), Behan.
Subs not used: O’Brien, McNulty, Carroll, Meyler.
Referee: Dave McKeon.
