Sligo Rovers made a winning start to life without Dave Robertson as they carved out a 2-0 win over Bohemians in the Aiirtricity League Premier Division at the Showgrounds.
The Bit O'Red were the better side in the first half and deservedly took the lead on 12 minutes courtesy of Jonah Ayunga's first strike in Sligo colours.
Bohs dominated the large majority of the second half but a lack of firepower left the Dubliners wanting in front of goal.
Mick Leahy secured the points for Rovers with eleven minutes left when he finished Kieran Sadlier's corner to the net.
Rovers were looking for a bright start to a new era in the north west and profited from a lively start when they took the lead with 12 minutes gone.
The attentive Ayunga gave Daniel Byrne little time on the ball as the Brighton loanee robbed the Bohs centre half of possession in the middle. Ayunga's speed and strength saw him then hold off two defenders before slotting the ball past Shane Supple for his first goal for the club.
The Leinster side made journeyed across the Shannon without six first team regulars due to injury and were forced to include four U19 squad members in order to bulk up their match day panel.
The Dalymount men almost found themselves two down just past the quarter hour. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling taking control on the right wing before finding Leahy whose side-footed effort was diverted away by a well placed Bohs defender.
Set pieces were the main source of any threat from Keith Long's charges in the first half. Robert Cornwall, rushing to the front post. was unable to apply the finish to Lorcan Fitzgerald's corner in his attempt to nod the ball towards the target at the front post on 26.
The ball falling loose at the back post ready to be tapped in but no willing taker was present.
Fitzgerald gave Sligo goalkeeper Micheál Schlingermann his first real test nine minutes from the break when the Mayo man did well to tip the full-back's swerving free-kick over his crossbar.
Bohs spent the majority of the early part of the second half camped in the opposition's half as they searched for a reply.
Sligo were struggling to retain possession and captain Craig Roddan gifted possession to Kaleem Simon on the hour mark. The former Longford winger found Oscar Brennan who mis-fired with his powerful effort.
Cornwall fired another warning moments later when Schlingermann had to be lively to hold the defender's snapshot from the edge of the area from another Fitzgerald free-kick. While Kyle Callan-McFadden did just enough to put Byrne off his stride with the ball waiting to be lashed to the back of the net from close range on 67.
Sligo continued to be sloppy when they did have the ball. John Russell's poor pass was easily cut out by the Bohs midfield before captain Derek Pender picked out Dean Casey whose hesitant effort rolled harmlessly wide of Schlingermann's post.
For all their work, and against the general run of play, Bohs were pegged back further eleven minutes from time as Rovers doubled their lead. Supple flapped at Sadlier's corner from the left before the ball was bundled across the line by Leahy to confirm Rovers' second win of the season.
Sligo Rovers: Micheál Schlingermann; Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Mick Leahy, Kyle Callan-McFadden, Gary Boylan; Kieran Sadlier, Craig Roddan, John Russell, Liam Martin; Raffaele Cretaro (Chris Kenny 72); Jonah Ayunga (Mathew Stevens 90+2).
Bohemians: Shane Supple; Derek Pender, Robert Cornwall, Daniel Byrne, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Paddy Kavanagh, Fuad Sule, Oscar Brennan, Dean Casey (Keith Ward 81); George Poynton (Philip Gannon 87); Kaleem Simon (Stephen Nolan 87).
Referee: Robert Hennessy.
