Two goals in as many minutes from John O'Sullivan and Jonathan Afolabi saw Bohemians stage a big comeback over Dundalk at Dalymount Park to boost their hopes of securing European football next season.
Declan Devine’s side were on top throughout but despite taking a 15th minute lead through James McManus, they somehow found themselves behind as goals from Johannes Yli-Kokko and Connor Malley turned the game on its head for the Louth men.
Stephen O’Donnell’s side were forced to soak up long periods of pressure but it finally told in the 82nd minute when O’Sullivan equalised, with Afolabi following up with what proved to be the winner two minutes later. It was no more than the home side deserved.
This could be a big win for a side who had won just one of their last nine games prior to this. They now sit just a point behind Dundalk in fifth place and nine points off Shamrock Rovers at the summit, with the advantage of having two games in hand on the four sides above them.
For Dundalk, this ended a run of five games unbeaten and as well as having possible implications for their European qualification hopes for next season, it's also a blow ahead of their trip to Gibraltar to face Bruno’s Magpies in the Europa Conference League qualifiers on Thursday.
The home side dominated from the off and had their first big chance as early as the third minute when Paddy Kirk’s quick throw caught out the Dundalk defence, with Afolabi picking it up before being denied by the legs of Nathan Shepperd from a tight angle.
In the aftermath, former Lilywhite Jordan Flores got in behind the visitors defence once again but his cross was headed over by Afolabi.
The Gypsies did manage to hit the front on the quarter-hour mark. Flores released Afolabi down the left, with his cross evading Adam McDonnell only for McManus to pick it up before steadying himself to slot to the bottom left-hand corner.
McDonnell was in behind himself once again moments later but couldn’t steady himself to hit the target with his effort.
Dalymount was then stunned into silence when Dundalk equalised with their first attack on 23 minutes. Paul Doyle’s pass into Yli-Kokko saw the Finn spin away from two Bohs defenders to race into the box and slot past the advancing James Talbot.
After McDonnell had passed up another good chance for Bohs, the Louth men then found themselves 2-1 ahead with their second effort on 37 minutes. Archie Davies found space on the right to deliver a teasing ball into the edge of the six-yard box, where Malley was on hand to nod home.
The Gypsies did look for a response before the break but Declan McDaid’s effort after cutting in from the left crashed into the face of Hayden Muller before Afolabi could only flick a header wide from Flores’ free-kick.
The home side had another big chance six minutes after the restart when McDonnell played McDaid in behind on the left but Davies got back to block at the expense of a corner that Patrick Hoban managed to clear.
Dundalk were forced to soak up a lot of pressure but almost added a third on 63 minutes when Davies’ cross just evaded the inrushing Yli-Kokko after Malley’s initial effort had been blocked by Kacper Radkowski.
Afolabi then had a big chance to level when he was picked out in the box by Kris Twardek 10 minutes later but the former Celtic man got his footwork all wrong and ended up sending his effort away from goal.
Flores then picked up possession but his effort was easily saved by Shepperd.
The equaliser arrived on 81 minutes when Dundalk paid the price for failing to clear their lines as McManus’s cross found substitute O’Sullivan, who rifled to the net.
Within three minutes Dalymount erupted as Afolabi beat the offside trap to race through and slot past Shepperd.
The visitors did go close to an equaliser at the end when Hoban’s effort was spilled by Talbot, with the goalkeeper doing brilliantly to gather the rebound before John Martin could pounce.
Bohemians: James Talbot; Keith Buckley, Krystian Nowak, Kacper Radkowski, Paddy Kirk; James McManus, Jordan Flores; Dylan Connolly (James Clarke 62), Adam McDonnell (John O’Sullivan 70), Declan McDaid (Kris Twardek 70); Jonathan Afolabi (Nickson Okosun 89).
Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Archie Davies, Hayden Muller, Louie Annesley, Darragh Leahy, Paul Doyle (Ryan O’Kane 82); Johannes Yli-Kokko (John Martin 71), Connor Malley, Greg Sloggett (Keith Ward 86), Daniel Kelly (Alfie Lewis 82); Patrick Hoban.
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Limerick)
