League of Ireland Premier Division leaders Bohemians scored a comprehensive 2-0 victory at Dalymount Park over a makeshift Sligo Rovers side shorn of several key players, writes Shane Murray.
The sides were somehow scoreless at the break despite Bohs dominating possession and chances, with home goalkeeper Brian Murphy a bystander for most of the evening.
The Gypsies finally broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute when Man of the Match Gary Deegan tapped home Anto Murphy's cross-come-shot from close range, while Jason Byrne slotted home a 72nd-minute penalty after Steve Feeney had handled in the box.
The visitors, who had top scorer Rafael Cretaro and Danny Ventre added to their growing list of casualties this week, were always going to struggle against the double holders, with Gavin Peers and Stephen Parkhouse injured, alongside the suspended Richie Ryan and the influential Romauld Boco, who is with Benin on international duty.
Bohs had Jason McGuinness available again following his recent suspension for his comments in the reverse fixture in Sligo.
Pat Fenlon's men got off to a bright start, with a Byrne shot from outside the box in the fourth minute the first chance of note, but Sligo goalkeeper Richard Brush saved easily.
A minute later, Killian Brennan's free from the left found Byrne at the back post, but he could only direct his volley over the bar.
In the 15th minute, Bohs captain Owen Heary, who was a marauding full-back all night, cushioned a header down for Byrne on the edge of the box, but his shot was stopped by Alan Keane in front of Brush and Rovers cleared.
Rovers never had much of an outlet when they did win the ball back despite the best efforts of debutant Paul Curry and Owen Morrison up front.
It was all Bohs in the first half and Glen Crowe found space on the left with 21 minutes gone, played the ball into Deegan, who in turn found Byrne but he skewed his first-time volley well wide.
Eight minutes later, Brennan's snapshot on the turn trickled harmlessly into Brush's arms, while Deegan combined well with Byrne to almost force his way into a shooting position on the half hour, but Byrne's eventual return pass didn't have the necessary accuracy and Brush came out to gather.
Glenn Cronin blasted over in the 35th minute as Bohs continued to dominate without ever finding their range, while Byrne also tried his luck as Rovers restricted the hosts to speculative shots from distance.
Deegan did test Brush with a well-struck volley in the 42nd minute, but the Rovers netminder was equal to his rasping shot and the sides went in scoreless at the break.
Brush collided with Feeney to cause a moment of panic for the keeper at the start of the second half as Bohs continued where they left off, but he managed to gather Brennan's cross at the second attempt.
Despite some occasional neat interchanges in midfield, with Conor O'Grady, Christopher Kelly and Eoin Torpey always showing, the final ball always let Sligo down as they visibly lacked the creativity and pace of Cretaro and Boco up front.
The busy Deegan drove narrowly over in the 49th minute with another excellent effort, while Conor Powell's surging run down the left almost created the opening for Byrne to open the scoring, but the left-back's pull-back was drilled narrowly over again by the former Bray, Shels and Cardiff frontman.
Bohs did finally break the deadlock in the 52nd minute when Brennan's ball in from the left found Murphy at the back post and his cross-come-shot was tapped home by Deegan on the line.
Five minutes later, Byrne's shot almost caught Keane out on the line but he managed to change his feet quickly and chest the ball into Brush.
On the hour, Brennan's corner from the left was almost directed home by the in-rushing Cronin, but he struck his volley just wide of Brush's right-hand post.
Bohs continued to push for a second, and on 64 minutes Brennan's corner from the right was cleared and eventually found its way back to the winger, who cut inside Torpey and unleashed a stinging drive, which came back off the post before a flag was raised for offside.
Substitute Joseph Ndo marked his arrival with a teasing ball into the middle which Crowe and Byrne both managed to miss before Bohs did grab a second.
Rovers centre-back Feeney was forced into handling the ball under pressure from Deegan in the 71st minute, and Byrne made no mistake with the penalty a minute later, placing the ball low and hard to Brush's right.
Ndo, employing the full array of his trickery, and Heary combined well down the right for the latter to cross for Byrne, but the striker's first-time volley flew wildly over the bar from 16 yards.
Brush then made a good save to deny Byrne a minute later as Bohs went in search of the third goal their performance and possession merited, while substitute Neale Fenn miscued horribly wide moments later.
The Rovers defence endured a nervous few moments in the dying minutes as Ndo had a shot saved by Brush, while Byrne had an effort blocked by a defender and Brennan also had a shot closed down.
Two minutes from time, McGuinness made his return from suspension to much derision and criticism from the boisterous Rovers following in the Jodi Stand, but there was little incident as the hosts played out the final minutes to score a deserved victory, which could and should have been a lot more.
Bohemians: 1 Brian Murphy; 2 Owen Heary (capt), 5 Brian Shelley, 6 Ken Oman (15 Jason McGuinness 88 mins), 3 Conor Powell; 7 Anto Murphy (18 Joseph Ndo 69 mins), 8 Gary Deegan, 4 Glenn Cronin, 11 Killian Brennan; 9 Glen Crowe (12 Neale Fenn 72 mins), 10 Jason Byrne.
Subs: 14 Mark Rossiter, 25 Matt Gregg.
Sligo Rovers: 1 Richard Brush; 2 Brian Cash, 4 Steve Feeney, 5 Alan Keane, 3 Danny Keohane; 7 Owen Torpey, 6 Conor O'Grady (capt), 8 Christopher Kelly (12 Danny Fallon 69 mins), 11 Sean Doherty; 9 Paul Curry, 10 Owen Morrison.
Subs: 17 Ciaran Kelly.
Booked: Kelly 40, O'Grady 58.
Bohemians 2-0 Sligo Rovers
