By Glenn Mason
John Dillon headed a last-minute winner to give Sligo Rovers a dramatic 2-1 victory over nine-man Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium.
Joseph Ndo picked out the unmarked Dillon and he nodded past a flying Ryan Thompson to claim a win that blows the title race wide open.
A lively first half ended without a goal with all the drama coming in the second half, starting with Pat Sullivan's dismissal.
Gary Twigg headed the Hoops ahead just seconds later from Rohan Ricketts' left-wing cross.
Sligo came storming forward and John Russell curled in the equaliser from the edge of the box.
The Hoops were reduced to nine men when substitute Pat Flynn was given a straight red card for a challenge on Iarflaith Davoren.
Dillon completed the turnaround to bring Sligo to within two points of the Hoops, who have a game in hand, and withing three of new leaders Derry City.
The home fans and players were angered by the performance of referee Damien Hancock. Stephen Rice and Billy Dennehy made their feelings known as Hancock left the pitch at the end.
The sixth meeting between these sides this season came as the Hoops face into a crucial run of games over the next three weeks.
Michael O'Neill's side meet St Patrick's Athletic, Rubin Kazan, Sligo in the cup, Derry City and Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
The home side may have injury problems but they have a squad strong enough to cope.
O'Neill included eight of the team that began the 2-1 win over Dundalk in the league last week, including home debuts for Ricketts and Jim Paterson.
Alan Keane's return to fitness saw Sligo at full strength but Raffaele Cretaro remained at right-back, while Russell replaced Alan Kirby in attack.
Ricketts took just nine minutes to make an impact as he created the opening chance for Twigg from Jason McGuinness' hurried clearance.
The winger's dinked through ball over Gavin Peers fell perfectly for Twigg but the Scot could not apply the finish.
Sligo were also lively early on and Cretaro set Eoin Doyle away but his low cross was easily gathered by Thompson at the near post.
A frantic exchange in the Sligo box saw shots from Ronan Finn and Dan Murray blocked, before Chris Turner fired wide from Twigg's lay-off.
Ndo was a constant threat and he almost put his side ahead on 19 minutes with a speculative swerving effort that came back off Thompson's post.
Unlike the previous tight games between these sides, this was flowing from end to end. Turner was next to go close as he headed Ricketts' corner narrowly wide.
Hancock and his officials added further tension with some bad decisions that left both managers bemused and the home fans, in particular, seething.
Doyle will wonder how he did not put Sligo ahead after he chested Richie Ryan's ball down into his path. The quality of the shot did not match the control and flew wide.
There was further disappointment for Doyle minutes later as Murray cleared his shot off the line. The home defence was rattled and Thompson denied Russell after he weaved past several defenders.
Ricketts spurned the final chances of the half as he failed to test Brendan Clarke following neat approach play by Finn and Twigg.
However, Clarke was alert when he was needed early in the second half as he tipped Turner's downward header over the bar.
It was the Hoops who had made the better start after the break and Ricketts jinked past Cretaro and let fly with a drilled effort that sailed over.
The game turned on two incidents inside 60 seconds on the hour mark, as first Sullivan was dismissed for a second booking when Hancock ruled that he had thrown the ball away.
Before Sligo had time to put their advantage to any use, they found themselves behind as Twigg climbed highest to power Ricketts' cross past Clarke.
But the pressure was growing on the home goal with Thompson rushing out to block Doyle, while Murray hacked away Ryan's follow-up shot.
Sligo were dominant in possession and Thompson was brave as he saved at the feet of substitute Matthew Blinkhorn and Doyle.
The Hoops still threatened on the break and Billy Dennehy went racing through, with Alan Keane needed to deflect the shot wide.
Sligo were not to be denied and Russell curled home a fine equaliser after Ndo and Blinkhorn combined on the edge of the Hoops box.
Flynn's dismissal made the Hoops' challenge even more arduous and Sligo punished the substitute's moment of madness.
Ndo kept his cool to cross for Dillon, who leapt to power Sligo back into contention at the top of the table.
Shamrock Rovers: 16 Thompson; 2 Sullivan, 4 Sives, 5 Murray, 3 Paterson; 21 Finn, 6 Rice, 18 Turner, 14 Ricketts (20 Dennehy '67); 10 Sheppard (13 Flynn '85), 9 Twigg (11 Kilduff '65).
Subs not used: 1 Brush, 7 McCabe, 8 O'Donnell, 19 O'Neill.
Booked: Sullivan, Turner.
Sent-off: Sullivan, Flynn.
Sligo Rovers: 1 Clarke; 10 Cretaro (2 Keane '65), 4 Peers, 20 McGuinness, 3 Davoren; 15 Ndo, 6 Ryan, 5 Ventre (7 Dillon h/t), 10 Greene (9 Blinkhorn '54); 8 Russell, 11 Doyle.
Subs not used: 12 Kirby, 16 Foran, 17 Powell, 19 Kelly.
Booked: Ventre, Dillon
Referee: Damien Hancock.
