Leaders survive without skipper

Sligo had to settle for a point from a match they could so easily have lost as their mid-season blip continued at Dalymount Park.

Though Bohemians shaded the first half, the league leaders dominated much of the second until captain Jason McGuinness was sent off on 79 minutes.

McGuinness, a double winner in his time at Bohemians, received a second yellow card from referee Damien Hancock for a foul on Keith Buckley.

That signalled a late charge from the home side who might well have won the game but spurned two good late chances.

Buckley threaded a ball through to Dave Mulcahy on 84 minutes and the midfielder turned well only to see his shot saved one-handed by Gary Rogers.

Mulcahy then got his head to Ryan McEvoy’s free-kick three minutes into stoppage time. This time his effort flew wide of Rogers’ left-hand upright.

The damage to Sligo’s quest for a first title since 1977 was minimal, however, as they sit six points clear at the top of the table going into the break.

They may have been wounded from surprisingly having lost their last two games, including their grip on the FAI Ford Cup they had won for the past two years, but Sligo were slow to start.

It took Ian Baraclough’s rejigged side 17 minutes to work Craig Sexton withPascal Millien doing well to make room to drill a shot straight at the Bohs keeper.

Millien then showed clever feet to all too easily beat Roberto Lopes on the right from Ross Gaynor’s short corner. Danny North just failed to meet the inviting cross.

That lifted Sligo and they carved Bohemians open again within a minute. North’s delightful through ball put Millien in and he brought a save at full stretch from Sexton.

But make no mistake, Bohemians were in this game, passing the ball with confidence, and they troubled Sligo when they got forward.

Right-back Raff Cretaro was caught in possession in the Sligo box by the tenacious Karl Moore, whose attempted lob was well read by Rogers.

Moore then clipped over an inviting cross for Mulcahy, who glanced a header just wide.

Sligo upped the tempo from the start of the second half.

Mark Quigley came alive to beat Derek Pender and drill a shot wide before missing a sitter when played in by John Dillon.

Bohemians captain Evan McMillan then got in a terrific block from a McGuinness’ close-range shot following a Gaynor corner.

Quigley, anonymous in the first half, brought a save from Sexton before a sublime ball from Quigley put Lee Lynch through — Kevin Feely making a last-ditch tackle to concede the corner as Sligo turned the screws.

BOHEMIANS: Sexton; Pender, McMillan, Feely, Lopes; Mulcahy; Buckley (Corcoran 85), Ward (Traynor 56), McEvoy, Moore (Mulligan 71); Scully.

SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers; Cretaro, Peers, McGuinness, Gaynor; Millien (Dykes 83), Cawley, Lynch, Quigley; Dillon (Owens 90); North.

Referee: Damien Hancock (Dublin).