It had looked grim for Sligo, the side making the longest away trip of the night in the Premier Division with potential travel chaos adding to their stress levels, but they stood up as Bohs dropped off, despite taking the lead, and a goal early in the second half from Sean McHale, on loan from St Pat’s, doomed Bohs to a first defeat of the season.
It caps a good week for Rovers who had a four-point haul but a dismal one for Bohs who took one from two home games – against the bottom two – and they now need to regroup for a trip to league leaders Shamrock Rovers next week.
Scoring from open play had been a real concern for Bohs this season, with the side often too reliant on dead balls. So they will have been encouraged by the way their opening goal came about, as they recovered from a mix-up between Kacper Chorazka and Sam Todd that almost presented Cian Kavanagh with a chance. Bohs instead took the lead when Sadou Diallo won possession and played a long pass that split Sligo open, allowing winger Zane Myers to run through and beat Sam Sergeant with his finish.
The Sligo keeper was able to deny Connor Parsons soon after but Sligo stood firm and grew into the game, Daire Patton testing Chorazka on 17 minutes.
Bohs could have been 2-0 up on 27 minutes, Patrick Hickey getting his head to a Parsons corner but Ross Tierney was unable to convert.
The home side had backed off as Sligo grew in confidence, efforts from Alex Nolan and Archie Meekison causing concern for Bohs fans before Rovers drew level on 39 minutes. Nolan moved out to the right, in front of the section with the away supporters, and curled in a ball which Bohs should have cleared but captain Will Fitzgerald was able to get a touch and score his second of the season.
Bohs did come back with an effort from Tierney just before the break after a one-two with Myers, but Sergeant stood in his way.
The home side made a change at the break, Markuss Strods on for an ineffective Connor Parsons, but Bohs could not raise the tempo and when the next goal came it was for the away side. Nolan sent in a corner which was flicked on to McHale and he was left free in the box to score his first for the club.
Sligo were comfortable at this stage, answering the few questions Bohs posed, even after the hosts made a change in attack – introducing Douglas James-Taylor following an injury lay-off and pushing Patrick Hickey from his central defensive role into a more advanced position.
Sean McHale celebrates his match-winning goal
League of Ireland Review – April 10
But the efforts from Bohs were not convincing, Whelan unable to connect properly in the box when set up by Tierney and then McDonnell fired wide.
Bohs suffered even more pain on 71 minutes when McDonnell was sent off after a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Jeannot Esua. Five minutes from time Sligo needed a brave header from Gareth McElroy to keep out a Hickey effort and even though the last 10 minutes was all Bohs possession, Sligo were not really troubled.
Bohs piled on the pressure but bar a header from Ryan Burke, saved by Sergeant deep into injury time, they could not find a route to goal.
Even the brute force of Hickey and James-Taylor’s presence did not trouble Sergeant with Sligo deserving of a win which was a huge turnaround from their 4-0 home loss to Bohs earlier in the season.
BOHS – Chorazka; Power, Hickey, Todd, Flores; Diallo (Burke 51), McDonnell; Myers (Byrne 74), Tierney, Parsons (Strods, 46); Whelan (James-Taylor 63).
SLIGO – Sargeant; Esua, McElroy, Denham, McHale; Patton, Meekison, McHugh (McDonagh 46), Fitzgerald; Nolan (Blaney 66); Kavanagh (Hakiki 79).
REF – N Doyle