Kurtis Byrne in wonder strike for Bohemians against Sligo Rovers

Bohemians 1 Sligo Rovers 0

Sligo started well with Chris Lyons whipping a free kick into the box with less than a minute on the clock but Gavin Peers couldn’t get a header on target. Two minutes Dean Delany in the Bohs goal gathered well from a Jaanai Gordon effort.

The crowd of 2,115 saw the home side take the lead on 10 minutes when a good team move saw the ball fed out to Byrne wide on the right.

The former Dundalk man unleashed a brilliant strike with the ball looping over Micheál Schlingermann and into the top corner.

Bohs then began to put the pressure on Sligo and had a couple of chances to increase their lead.

The pick of them came on 22 minutes when Byrne sent a cracking cross into the six-yard box with Ismahil Akinade the intended target.

Akinade got a head to it but Rovers defender Gavin Peers was in close proximity and ensured the ball was cleared.

There was a dramatic start to the second half then Peers upended Akinade on the edge of the penalty just 30 seconds after the restart.

Cork referee Graham Kelly gave the free with Mark Quigley curling his effort around the wall but Schlingermann was well placed to dive and save at his left hand post.

Schlingermann came to Rovers’ rescue again on 55 minutes when he beat Quigley to Akinade’s dangerous looking low cross from deep on the right.

Delaney, who had little to do after Sligo’s very early first half chances, made a good save in similar circumstances on 58 minutes when he cut out a Philip Roberts cross for Gordon.

Schlingermann, arguably Rovers’s best player on the night, made another save on 63 minutes to deny Akinade after Keith Buckley’s initial effort had rebounded back in to packed penalty area.

Rovers hand an opportunity on 87 minutes to salvage something from the game when the big men went up into the Bohs box for a Jimmy Keohane free kick but he blasted his effort high over all their heads and into touch. Bohs held on and deservedly took the points.

BOHEMIANS: Delaney; Pender, Murphy, Prendergast, Fitzgerald; Byrne, Buckley, Wearan (Mulcahy 90+2), Kelly (Ben Mohammed 80 mins); Akinade, Quigley (Kavanagh 63 mins).

SLIGO ROVERS: Schlingermann; Adebayo-Rowling, Peers, Clancy, Donelon; Roberts, Richards, Keohane, Martin; Lyons (Russel 68 mins), Gordon.

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).