Dundalk suffered a huge blow to their survival hopes as Bohemians took the spoils at Oriel Park with a 2-0 victory leaving the Lillywhites on the brink of relegation to the League of Ireland First Division.
John Daly's side will rue missing gilt-edge opportunities, either side of Bohemians’ goals which proved crucial in the final outcome of this clash on Friday night.
Early on, the home side threatened to take the lead from set pieces, with the delivery of Paul Doyle and Dan Pike’s long throw ins giving the visitors something to think about.
Mayowa Animasahun’s close-range effort was cleared off the line, with referee Kevin O’Sullivan waving away Dundalk players’ appeals that the ball crossed the line.
Bohemians looked a threat thanks to Ross Tierney and Dawson Devoy, with Dundalk’s Ross Munro keeping out an early Alex Grieve drive following a clever Tierney pass. Alex Grieve also headed a Danny Grant cross wide.
At the other end, John Mountney’s header was parried away by Kacper Chorazka, before Robbie Benson fired the rebound over the bar from 18 yards.
The visitors went close after Jevon Mills’ header was blocked by Dan Pike following a corner, while Dawson Devoy volleyed wide from a Liam Smith cross from the right hand side.
Bohemians continued to carry that threat after the restart, Dayle Rooney failed to properly connect to a Devoy cross.
Another Rooney effort was deflected over the bar, and from the resultant corner, Bohs hit the front when Devoy rifled to the roof of the net from about 18 yards to give the visitors the lead.
Dundalk should have been level on 65 minutes when Ryan O’Kane who was lively following his introduction, found Daryl Horgan with a neat pull back, but the former Cork City man blazed over from close range.
A few minutes later, Jamie Gullan fired over the bar, following a clever inside ball from Horgan, as Dundalk desperately searched for an equaliser.
But Bohemians made them pay for those missed opportunities with six minutes left when Adam McDonnell’s corner was deflected to the net via John Mountney with Dundalk now eight points from safety with four games remaining.
Dundalk: Ross Munro, Dan Pike (O’Kane HT), Andy Boyle, Mayowa Animasahun, Sean Keogh (Jad Hakiki 73); Aodh Dervin (Eoin Kenny 79), Paul Doyle (Dara Keane 59), John Mountney, Robbie Benson, Daryl Horgan; Jamie Gullan.
Subs: Felix Goddard (GK), Koen Oostenbrink, Robbie Mahon, Scott McGill, Bobby Faulkner,.
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Liam Smith, Cian Byrne, Jevon Mills 7 (Jake Carroll 79), Patrick Kirk; Adam McDonnell; Dawson Devoy, Danny Grant (James Clarke 74), Ross Tierney (Archie Meekison 74), Dayle Rooney; Alex Grieve (James Akintunde HT).
Subs: James Talbot (GK), Declan McDaid, Filip Piszczek, Brian McManus, Martin Miller, Jake Carroll.
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan (Co Cork).
