Paddy Kirk and Ali Coote delivered quick-fire second-half goals as Bohemians had to come from behind against bottom side UCD at Dalymount Park to maintain their terrific start to the season.
A fifth victory from six games stretches the Gypsies' lead at the top of the table to three points ahead of Derry City - and a staggering 10 points above arch-rivals Shamrock Rovers who they meet in their next home game on 7 April.
Forced into a late change due to skipper Jordan Flores crying off in the warm-up, to be replaced by James McManus, Bohemians worked the game's first promising opening on 11 minutes.
Following up to a dozen passes, Coote's cross deflected back to Grant Horton with the right-back skying his shot over the top when he might have hit the target.
A minute later Dalymount was stunned into silence when UCD stole the lead.
Adam Wells dinked a clever ball down the left for the run of Danu Kinsella-Bishop.
The College striker skipped beyond Krystian Nowak to seemingly catch James Talbot unawares as his cross shot went in off the far post.
UCD goalkeeper Kian Moore was sharply off his line to punch a Declan McDaid cross off the head of Jonathan Afolabi as Bohs looked for an immediate response.
But further negligent defending back at the other end might have been punished again on 16 minutes.
Dara Keane ghosted in behind from Ciaran Behan’s free kick, but just failed to get a decent contact with the ball which dropped into Talbot’s grateful grasp.
With Bohemians still a little rattled at the back, Nowak had to make a brave block as Kinsella-Bishop got turned to shoot onto a Behan knock down from Alex Nolan’s deep cross.
Afolabi thought he had levelled on 32 minutes only for his 'goal’ to be ruled out as assistant referee Michelle O’Neill had already raised her flag for the ball being out of play before Coote delivered the cross.
A minute later, Afolabi was denied again when Moore got down superbly to save his shot after he had turned Harvey O’Brien in the box from Coote’s clever pass.
The frustration continued for the home side in the final minute of the half when they missed a penalty, given after Moore appeared to knock down James Akintunde following skipper Adam McDonnell free kick.
Coote wasted the chance when ballooning a dreadful spot kick high over the crossbar.
Talbot had to make a smart save from O’Brien early in the second half before Bohemians turned the game on its head inside four minutes.
They equalised on 55 minutes, left-back Kirk working a one-two with McDonnell to curl home off his right foot.
Coote then redeemed his penalty miss when collecting a loose ball from a Kirk pass to skip past O’Brien and shoot home.
A busy Moore then kept UCD in the game with a string of saves, most notably from McDaid, Afolabi and substitute James Clarke.
Bohemians: James Talbot; Grant Horton, Krystian Nowak, Kacper Radkowski, Paddy Kirk; Ali Coote (Dean Williams 86), James McManus, Adam McDonnell, Declan McDaid; Jonathan Afolabi (John O'Sullivan 89); James Akintunde (James Clarke 83)
UCD: Kian Moore; Daniel Babb (Donal Higgins 80), Harvey O’Brien, Jack Keaney, Adam Wells; Ciaran Behan, Mark Dignam (Divine Izekor 74), Brendan Barr (Harry O’Connor 89), Alex Nolan (Danny Norris 74); Dara Keane; Danu Kinsella-Bishop
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin)
Attendance: 4,017
