Bohemians booked their place in the EA Sports Cup final after scoring a hard-fought 4-2 extra-time victory over ten-man Sligo Rovers at rain-soaked Dalymount Park, writes RTÉ Sport's Shane Murray.
Leading 1-0 at half-time thanks to Matthew Blinkhorn's opportunist lob in the 38th minute, Rovers debutant Martin Camano's harsh sending off after 49 minutes saw the visitors on the back foot.
Bohs replied through Neale Fenn's clinical strike in the 56th minute, but the visitors restored their lead when Alan Keane slotted home a 62nd-minute penalty after goalkeeper Matt Gregg was adjudged to have fouled Rafael Cretaro.
That goal looked set to give Rovers an unlikely but deserved win, but Bohs' late pressure was eventually rewarded when substitute Paul Keegan reacted first to Conor Powell's left-wing cross to stab home in the second minute of injury-time.
The equaliser was harsh on Paul Cook's men and the large travelling support, and their night was to deteriorate even further when Ken Oman headed home from a corner in the 99th minute.
Joseph Ndo capped an industrious performance with a well-taken finish, at the second attempt, three minutes later to ensure Bohs advance to meet either UCD or Waterford United.
A bright opening from both sides saw Conor Powell produce a great run from left back in the fourth minute, which was eventually halted on the six yard line by a last-ditch Sligo tackle.
In the 10th minute, Joseph Ndo tried his luck with a speculative right-foot drive from outside the box which drifted well wide of Richard Brush's goal.
Ndo found himself dropping deep in the early stages, picking up ball and trying to dictate the play without too much impact or penetration.
The visitors, horribly outclassed on their last visit to Dalymount, were more than a match for their hosts following manager Paul Cook's busy foray into the transfer market.
One of those signings, Joe Kendrick, swung in a left-wing free-kick into the box in the 16th-minute and picked out the towering Camano at the back post, but linesman Marc Douglas had already flagged for an infringement before Gregg had gathered his header.
Rovers were playing with confidence at this stage and in the 21st minute, Danny Ventre released Brian Cash on the left, and the left-winger cut inside and forced a finger-tip save from Gregg.
Cretaro shot wide at the back post from the resulting left-wing corner, when he perhaps should have done better.
O'Grady followed up with an ambitious shot from 25 yards three minutes later, while the marauding Boco picked out Rob Turner in the box within a minute, but the recent signing couldn't direct his header goalwards.
The goalmouth action wasn't all confined to the Bohs’ end, and Gary Deegan unleashed a low piledriver from distance which forced Brush into a good stop in the 27th minute.
Ndo brightened a miserable night with a moment of magic to escape the attentions of at least four Rovers players in the centre circle, before releasing Rossiter on the right, but his cross drifted harmlessly behind.
Kendrick then picked out Turner with a free from the right, and his header squeezed just wide, possibly off the post, with Gregg beaten.
On the half hour, a free from Boco on the right found O'Grady unmarked in the box, but he could only pull his snapshot over with his back to goal.
Rovers' dominance as the half progressed was finally rewarded when they broke through for the lead goal in the 38th minute.
Oman's attempted clearance was blocked by the alert Cretaro, and his first-time ball was inch perfect for Blinkhorn, and the Englishman made no mistake with a precision lob over the advancing Gregg into the unguarded net.
Blinkhorn almost stole in for a second three minutes later but his goalbound header was harshly penalised for a foul on Gregg.
In the 43rd minute, Glenn Cronin was booked for a dangerous, crunching tackle on Cretaro, who was a few seconds into a mazy run towards the Bohs goal.
Deservedly leading 1-0 at the break, Rovers pushed forward for a second and Rob Turner saw his appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Richie Winter after he appeared to be pulled back when through on goal in the opening minute of the second half.
While Winter was quick to ignore those pleas, he didn't hesitate in brandishing a straight red card to Sligo debutant Camano in the 49th minute after he tripped half-time substitute Jason Byrne on the edge of the box.
The resulting delicately chipped free from Brennan was tipped over by Brush, but it wasn't long before Pat Fenlon's men restored parity.
The equaliser duly arrived in the 56th minute when full-back Mark Rossiter's shot was cleared only as far as Fenn, and he unleashed an unstoppable right-foot drive high into the roof of the net.
Brian Cash created an excellent opening for himself after bursting through two minutes later only to be denied by Gregg, who palmed away his goal-bound shot.
Cretaro saw an even better opportunity hit the post when he was put through in the 60th minute, but the Sligo man appeared to be caught by Gregg, who was subsequently booked by Winter before a penalty was awarded.
Keane made no mistake from the spot, dispatching the ball to the net with power down the middle.
Jason Byrne and Ndo created opportunities at the other end as forays forward from the visitors grew more and more scarce.
Gary Deegan forced a good save from Brush from outside the box in the 71st minute, before Byrne had a chance a minute later which he somehow put wide.
Rovers were let off the hook again in the 76th minute when Killian Brennan's in-swinger from the right caught Brush out and came back off the stanchion.
Brennan's free from the right in the 79th minute was played square to Rossiter, but his shot was eventually gathered by Brush after taking a deflection en route to goal.
Ndo had an effort from out wide easily saved by Brush, while the Cameroonian combined well with Powell to put the full-back clear on the left, but again Brush was equal to the cross, despite taking a knock in the process.
Just when it appeared Sligo's defensive efforts would reap the rewards they deserved, Keegan popped up with an equaliser deep into added time.
The clock showed 92 minutes when Powell's ball into the box was headed down by Owen Heary and fellow substitute Keegan was on hand to hammer the ball to the net.
Referee Winter soon blew for full-time as both sets pf players prepared for 30 minutes of extra-time.
The early stages of extra-time saw Sligo on the back foot as Bohs pressed forward without creating too much in the way of clear-cut chances.
However, the Gypsies' superior numbers eventually broke through after a drilled free-kick from Byrne was deflected behind by Keane.
From the resulting corner on the left, Oman rose highest to head home and give Bohs the lead for the first time in the tie in the 99th minute.
It was game over two minutes later, when Ndo's surging run from midfield saw him slot home the rebound after his initial effort had been blocked.
There was no way back from that for ten-man Sligo, who showed their disappointment at the final whistle with both Cook and assistant manager Gerry Carr having words with referee Winter.
Bohemians: 25 Matt Gregg; Mark Rossiter (2 Owen Heary 84 mins), 6 Ken Oman, 15 Brian Shelley, 3 Conor Powell; 11 Killian Brennan, 16 Gary Deegan, 14 Glenn Cronin (19 Paul Keegan h-t), 17 Sean Byrne (10 Jason Byrne h-t); 8 Neale Fenn, 18 Joseph Ndo.
Substitutes not used: 1 Brian Murphy, 22 Ryan McEvoy.
Booked: Cronin 43, Oman 45+1, Gregg 60.
Sligo Rovers: 1 Richard Brush; 2 Romauld Boco, 4 Alan Keane, 5 Martin Camano, 3 Joe Kendrick; 11 Rafael Cretaro, 6 Conor O'Grady (13 Christopher Kelly 123 mins), 8 Danny Ventre, 7 Brian Cash (12 Owen Morrison 102 mins); 9 Matthew Blinkhorn, 10 Rob Turner (14 Richie Ryan 52 mins).
Substitutes not used: 15 Danny Keohane, 17 Ciaran Kelly.
Booked: Keane 35.
Sent off: Camano 49.
Referee: R Winter.
