Dayle Rooney claimed two assists and a goal as Bohemians hit Sligo Rovers for three without reply at the Showgrounds.
Rooney supplied both James Clarke and Aboubacar Keita with first half goals as the Gypsies led at the break. While Rooney himself netted a second half stunner as the Dalymount Park side picked up their first victory in five games.
Adjusting to life after the return of joint-top scorer Max Mata to parent club Shrewsbury Town, Rovers boss John Russell was forced into one change from the side who played out a stalemate with Gawlay seven nights previous. Dutch striker Rein Smit starting for the second time since he signed in March, in place of the now departed Mata.
Bohs manager Alan Reynolds made three changes from their defeat to Derry at the Brandywell. On a mission to pull Bohs out of their recent sticky patch which has seen them pick up just one win in their last five, he made two changes. Clarke and former Sligo full back Paddy Kirk returned to the starting eleven.
The Phibsboro side had the dream start and it was Clarke who put them ahead after just two minutes. Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty was late to Rooney's cross from the left and Clarke was the beneficiary as he nodded past the Oxford loanee.
GOAL – Bohemians take the lead in the second minute as James Clarke rises to meet the cross from Dayle Rooney
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 17, 2024
📺Watch live @rte2 and @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/GgZOY3odFW
Credit to the hosts who didn't seem deterred by their early concession, although they did look somewhat lacking in conviction in dangerous areas.
Smit dragged an effort across the face of the Bohs goal on six minutes, while Stefan Radosavljevic's header from a JR Wilson cross six minutes later was easy for Kacper Chorazka to claim.
Radosavljevic's next go at goal again lacked belief as Rovers, who only scored just twice in their last five outings, were without the killer touch.
Bohs made their opponents pay for further slack defending ten minutes from the interval. Rooney the supplier once again as Keita, almost unchallenged, headed the former Drogheda wide man's corner beyond McGinty.
GOAL – A towering header from Aboubacar Keita doubles Bohemians' advantage at the Showgrounds
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 17, 2024
📺Watch live @rte2 and @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/rLADWEYvpV
Sligo went with two up top in the second half in an effort to reel Bohs back in. Substitute Wilson Waweru was unfortunate to see his shot from the angle flash narrowly past the far post. While Wilson's attempted cross just short of the hour almost caught out Bohs goalkeeper Chorazka who had to back-peddle to palm the ball over his own crossbar.
Again, Rovers were made to pay for sloppy defensive play on 61 minutes when the ball bounced off Wilson and into the path of Rooney who fired home from 20 yards.
GOAL – After assisting for the first two goals, Dayle Rooney gets on the scoresheet with a cracking strike
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 17, 2024
📺Watch live @rte2 and @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/VQHY6nIRiW
Kirk maybe should have made it four shortly after, but could only place a Rooney set piece into McGinty's side netting.
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; JR Wilson, Ollie Denham (Kailin Barlow HT), Charlie Wiggett, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan, Connor Malley; Stefan Radosavljevic (Daire Patton 87), Ellis Chapman, Fabrice Hartmann (Wilson Waweru HT); Rein Smit.
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Luke Matheson, Aboubacar Keita, Jevon Mills, Paddy Kirk; James McManus, James Clarke (Daniel Grant 79), Adam McDonnell; James Akintunde (Filip Piszczek 75), Declan McDaid (Dylan Connolly 62), Dayle Rooney (Martin Miller 66).
Referee: Gavin Colfer.
Attendance: 2,087.
