Bohemians 3-2 Sligo Rovers
An injury time winner from the boot of Stephen Best saw Bohemians come from two goals down to beat ten man Sligo Rovers 3-2 at Dalymount Park.
Goals from Kieran Sadlier and Liam Martin either side of a questionable Gavin Peers red card saw Rovers move into a two goal lead.
Ismahil Akinade's strike just before the break gave Bohs hope going into a second half which the home side dominated.
And with the Dubliners having spurned a number of opportunities, substitute Kurtis Byrne popped up three minutes from time to level the game with a well struck free-kick before Best completed the turn around two minutes into injury time at the end of an pulsating match.
Sligo took the lead with four minutes elapsed as they looked to make it four league wins on the bounce.
Bohemians captain Derek Pender swung at his attempted clearance but failed to make contact. Rovers winger Sadlier took control before placing his effort past Dean Delany for his eighth goal of the season and his fourth in four outings.
The Gypsies enjoyed plenty of possession in the Sligo half early on but were unable to really test Micheál Schlingermann.
Their task of over turning the deficit was assisted by the dismissal of Peers on 22 minutes. The Sligo centre-half clattered into Akinade out wide and although the tackle did not appear to be on the overly heavy side along with Sligo having a covering man, referee Anthony Buttimer took time to consider his options before deciding to brandish the red.
This didn't deter the Westerners however as they doubled their lead five minutes later. French striker Achille Campion moving the ball into the path of Liam Martin who pushed by the challenge of a Bohs defender before forcing the ball beyond Delany, whose touch was not strong enough to keep the ball out.
Disorientated by this, Keith Long's outfit allowed Campion to find space to unleash an effort from the edge of the area just short of the half hour mark. Delany comfortable in dealing with the Parisian's effort this time around.
The Phibsborough side did find a way back into the tie just before the break.
Gary Boylan, who had been introduced following Peers' red, did enough to put Roberto Lopes off his initial effort before the midfielder smacked the ball straight at Schlingermann. The Mayo man could only knock possession into the path of Akinade who fired home from ten yards to cut the deficit.
Bohs were quicker out of the traps in the second period. Captain Derek Pender saw his powerful effort from a neat Eoin Wearen drag-back sail over the Sligo goal on 50 minutes, while Akinade misjudged his skipper's cross at the back post two minutes later as his header landed on top of Schlingermann's net.
Lopes really should have restored parity on the hour. Pender did well to keep Keith Buckley's pass in play at the end line but Lopes could only nod directly into the arms of the stationery Schlingermann from point blank.
Debutant Dean O'Halloran was next to go close for the Gypsies with his acrobatic effort on 69. While a Sligo scramble denied both Akinade and Byrne in quick succession one minute later as most of the play took place deep inside the Rovers half.
The onslaught continued and the powerful Akinade managed to muscle his way past Michael Leahy ten minutes from time. But the incoming Buckley couldn't wrap his toe around the striker's chipped ball to the back post. While both Byrne and Wearen wasted opportunities on 82 and 85 respectively.
The pressure eventually told three minutes from time. Wearen was pushed over by Leahy at the edge of the Sligo box. Schlingermann showed far too much room on his left side at the resulting free, inviting Byrne to dip the ball over the wall and into the net.
The drama didn't end here. Akinade climbed above his marker to nod O'Halloran's corner back towards Best who almost broke the net from close range to complete a magnificent turn-around.
Bohemians: Dean Delany; Derek Pender, Stephen Best, Derek Prendergast (Mark Quigley 72), Lorcan Fitzgerald; Paddy Kavanagh (Kurtis Byrne 55), Eoin Wearen, Roberto Lopes, Keith Buckley, Jake Kelly (Dean O'Halloran 67); Ismahil Akinade.
Sligo Rovers: Micheál Schlingermann; Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Gavin Peers, Michael Leahy, Jimmy Keohane; Kieran Sadlier (Gary Boylan 25), Craig Roddan, Pat McCann, Daniel Kearns, Liam Martin; Achille Campion (Raffaele Cretaro 77).
Referee: Anthony Buttimer.
