- Alex Dunne
- Fri, Mar 16 2018
Bohemians and Sligo Rovers played out an entertaining 2-2 draw under the lights at Dalymount Park in the SSE Airtricity League – but it could have been so much more for either side.
Missed chances characterised Sligo in the first half as they dominated the possession, but Bohs were lethal on the counter and struck through a smashing effort from Eoghan Stokes.
David Cawley's header brought the sides level, before two goals in a two minute spell in the second half as a great volley from Adam Morgan cancelled out Ian Morris' header.
Bohs started out with an interesting tweak from manager Keith Long, playing with Keith Buckley in front of a midfield four to support lone frontman Stokes.
Buckley's role – seeking out space, hooking the ball into the striker's path - kept the Sligo full-backs occupied with Callum Waters in particular struggling.
Sligo boss Gerard Lyttle demands much of his full-backs and it seems both Gary Boylan and Waters can be caught out on the break.
Seamus Sharkey needed an impressive diving block to deny Karl Moore a crossing chance and Kye McFadden was called on to sweep up numerous times.
The Bit O'Red flooded forward but it was on one of these counters they were undone, as Bohs put it all together after 28 minutes when Oscar Brennan's raking through-ball found Stokes in the inside-right channel.
Stokes feinted inside Waters and curled a wonderful strike into the far top corner, leaving Mícheál Schlingermann no chance. It was the first time Bohs had scored the opener in a game this season.
But still Sligo came, prompting, probing, recycling and probing again. Their midfield three continuously rotated to keep Brennan and Ian Morris occupied, with the aim to seemingly get Rhys McCabe free to rake in a through ball behind.
The pace of the Sligo front three was proving troublesome too – a hopeful punt from Boylan presented McAleer with a golden chance after a quarter of an hour, but he fired wide first time, perhaps not realising he was yards ahead of Darragh Leahy.
After that, the game sprung into life. Dan Casey flattened McAleer with a fierce challenge to prevent a Sligo counter after good work from Buckley and Stokes was nearly undone by a McFadden long ball. Cawley shot wide from 25 yards, Sligo began to exert more influence.
Adam Morgan and Alastair Roy kept pushing, kept hassling the Bohs defence in possession, looking for the break even after going 1-0 down. Their goal wouldn't come from the Sligo counter-press, but rather from a corner, as McCabe's floater was headed home at the near post by David Cawley.
The Gypsies punished for not doing the simple things.
The goal galvanised Bohs. They started very brightly in the second half, not allowing Sligo to settle, snapping at them like the away side had done to them in the first half.
Kavanagh and Moore played noticeably higher as they went on the look for a second goal. Buckley went over in the box in the 51st minute but no penalty was given. He tried slipping in Kavanagh but it was intercepted by Waters. A one-two with Brennan didn't come off. Corners came and went, chances missed.
And then, the breakthrough came; no more than Bohs deserved, with Ian Morris heading in at the back post free and unmarked from Moore's inswinging corner.
Moore had aimed one there moments before but Schlingermann had spared Sligo's blushes with Casey and Stokes queuing up to nod in. They wouldn't get so lucky the second time around.
It drew an instant response. Two minutes later, it was level again, and it was a special goal from Adam Morgan, swivelling his body to connect with a stunning mid-air volley after McCabe's free kick was headed clear. All Bohs good work undone.
The game would fall quiet but as Sligo ran out of steam. Long sent on Dinny Corcoran and Keith Ward to cause some chaos, and two chances from a combined total of about ten yards fell to the Bohs number nine, but he couldn't convert either.
It was all Bohs to the end as Corcoran's hold-up play bought Kavanagh some space for a low drive from the right in the 87th minute. It struck the post, Corcoran conspired to miss the open goal gaping. His blushes were somewhat spared by the offside flag as Sligo snuck away with a point.
Bohemians: Shane Supple; Derek Pender, Dan Casey, Rob Cornwall, Darragh Leahy; Paddy Kavanagh, Oscar Brennan, Karl Moore, Ian Morris (Dinny Corcoran 78); Keith Buckley, Eoghan Stokes (Keith Ward 80).
Subs Not Used: Colin McCabe, Dan Byrne, Dylan Watts, Philip Gannon, JJ Lunney.
Booked: None.
Sligo Rovers: Mícheál Schlingermann; Gary Boylan, Kyle McFadden, Seamus Sharkey, Callum Waters; Rhys McCabe, Craig Roddan (Greg Moorehouse 86), David Cawley; Caolan McAleer, Adam Morgan, Alistair Roy (Adam Wixted 67).
Subs Not Used: Mitchell Beeney, Patrick McClean, Jack Keaney, Eduardo Pincelli, Lewis Morrison.
Booked: Seamus Sharkey (67), Adam Morgan (71)
Attendance: 1,500 (estimate)
Referee: Ray Matthews
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Rhys McCabe (Sligo Rovers)
