League Report: Bohemians 2 - 2 Sligo Rovers

Bohemians and Sligo Rovers took a point each from an entertaining 2-2 draw at Dalymount Park on Friday night.
 

Paul O'Conor put Rovers ahead but goals on either side of half-time from Dinny Corcoran and Steven Beattie handed completed a turnaround for the home side. Eamon Zayed responded inside the final 10 minutes to make it 2-2.

Aidan Price was given his marching orders in the 93rd minute, but it was too little too late to have any telling impact on the game.

Despite absorbing a considerable amount of pressure in the opening stages, Rovers should have been ahead after eight minutes when Danny North latched on to a Raffaele Cretaro cross but the striker could only find the side netting.

With just under a quarter of the game gone Eamon Zayed and Paul O'Conor combined to break the deadlock and find the back of the net for The Bit O'Red for a second week in a row. The striker played O'Conor through who managed to hold off the challenge of Aidan Price and slot the ball home.

Their lead would last all of five minutes however when Dinny Corcoran made it all square after guiding an effort through a crowded penalty area.

The second-half began at an explosive pace, with Cretaro shooting over before Karl Moore done likewise at the other end, an effort which was quickly followed by Jason Byrne rattling the crossbar.

The early stages of the second-half were all about the home side and they made it count in the 58th minute when Keith Buckley found Steve Beattie who was able to force his way through the Sligo defence and put Bohs in front for the first time in the game.

Rovers responded well and almost made it all square again through Seamus Conneely, but the midfielder could not find the target. Moore again was proving to be a handful and he too narrowly missed in a sweeping attack just moments later.

With nine minutes remaining, Gavin Dykes' side made their growing pressure count when Zayed made it 2-2.

The impressive Gary Boylan passed for Ruairi Keating who in turn whipped a stunning cross in to the box for the big striker to head beyond Delany and set up for an exciting finish to the encounter.

Keating and Adam Evans both had chances inside the closing minutes but neither were able to find that all important winner.

Price was shown a straight red card deep in to injury-time when he hauled North to the ground who would have otherwise been through on goal.

 

Bohemians: Dean Delany; Anto Murphy, Aiden Price, Roberto Lopes, Jack Memery; Keith Buckley, Karl Moore (Adam Evans, '86), Eoin Wearon, Steven Beattie; Jason Byrne (Paddy Kavanagh, '68), Dinny Corcoran.
Subs not used: Aaron Shanahan (gk); Ryan McEvoy, Jake Hyland, Craig Walsh, Stephen Best.

Booked: Anto Murphy (57), Jack Memery (76)
Sent Off: Aidan Price (90 + 3)

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Gary Boylan, Regan, Gavin Peers, Evan McMillan, Danny Ledwith; Raffaele Cretaro, Seamus Conneely, Paul O'Conor, Gary Armstrong (Ruairi Keating, '71), Danny North; Eamon Zayed.
Subs not used: Kalen Spillane, Ross Taheny, Ryan McManus.

Booked: Gavin Peers (29), Evan McMillan (37), Raffaele Cretaro (42), Gary Armstrong (65).

Referee: Sean Grant

Attendance: 1,093

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Steven Beattie (Bohemians).