Sligo Rovers produced their best away win of the season when they killed off struggling Cobh with the help of a couple of early strikes at St Colman’s Park.
Sean Doherty struck after less than three minutes when his shot flew in off the unlucky Alan Carey, but despite missing a penalty, when Romauld Boco's kick was saved by Ramblers goalkeeper James McCarthy after eight minutes, the visitors made it 2-0 one minute later when Anto Murphy shot home.
A fine header from Boco had the visitors heading for victory early in the second half, until Kieran O'Rielly fired home a consolation goal for the home side after 79 minutes.
Ramblers kicked off on the back of three successive defeats having conceded nine goals in two league defeats to Drogheda and Cork, and had only scored two goals in ten matches, with one of those from the penalty spot.
Meanwhile Paul Cook's side welcomed back Romauld Boco from World Cup duty with Benin and Sean Doherty started in place of Brian Cash, who was on the substitutes’ bench.
The game produced an action-packed opening with the visitors racing into a two goal lead inside the first nine minutes.
Sligo's left sided midfielder Doherty scored the first goal after 138 seconds, when his shot from the edge of the penalty area took a massive deflection off Cobh captain Alan Carey before looping over goalkeeper James McCarthy.
The goalkeeper then denied Boco from the penalty spot when he dived to his left to smother the ball after referee Derek Tomney pointed to the spot for handball against Alan Kearney.
But within sixty seconds Paul Cook's side were two goals in front, when Anto Murphy struck from inside the penalty area to send the ball flying to the net for a second away score, and not even ten minutes on the clock.
Ramblers, whose confidence has been at rock bottom because of their recent form, battled their way back into the game and almost pulled a goal back after 22 minutes.
A powerfully struck Alan Carey 25-yard free kick hit the Sligo crossbar with Richard Brush beaten, but the ball bounced down
and away to safety.
But Sligo who had not scored more than one goal in away league matches all season, wrapped up the three points early in the second half when a well-struck Sean Doherty corner kick found an unmarked Boco, who headed powerfully home from eight yards.
Kieran O'Rielly scored his third league goal of the season when he sent a shot low past Richard Brush with eleven minutes remaining.
Brush then produced a fine save to deny Graham Cummins, who had a good header moving towards the far corner of the net.
But after scoring three goals at home on four occasions this season, this was the first three strikes on Sligo's travels.
COBH: J McCarthy; Carey, Guthrie, B McCarthy, J Meade; O'Shea, J Kearney, A Kearney, Lally; Cummins, O’Reilly.
Substitutes; Coleman for A Kearney h/t, C Meade for O'Shea 65 mins.
SLIGO: Brush; Coleman, Peers, Almedia, Butler; Doherty, O'Grady, Ventre, Cretaro; Murphy, Boco.
Subs; McKenzie for Almedia inj 17, Judge for Butler inj 58, Cash for Murphy 77.
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).
