Setanta Sports Cup:REIGNING Eircom League champions Bohemians are in the driving seat after dispatching Coleraine 3-1 in the Setanta Cup Group Two match at The Showgrounds in Co Derry.
Bohemians marked their return to competitive action in 2010 with a deserved victory that owes much to a second-half performance bursting with attacking verve.
Coleraine shocked the visitors after two minutes as Rory Patterson chipped goalkeeper Barry Murphy after latching on to Jody Tolan’s through-ball.
The goal served as an early wake-up call for the Dublin side, who upped the ante and equalised in the 27th minute when Killian Brennan’s corner was knocked back across the face of goal by Jason McGuinness, presenting Owen Heary with a simple tap in.
Patterson’s lob moments later dropped wide of the goal as Coleraine threatened to retake the lead, but Bohemians turned the screw in the second half. Pat Fenlon’s side moved ahead two minutes after the restart with a Mark Rossiter thunderbolt.
Bohemians were denied a third in the 77th minute when Aaron Greene’s strike from outside the box found the back of the net, but McGuinness was adjudged to have been interfering with play in an offside position and the goal was disallowed.
Eight minutes from time, Bohemians did add a third when McCormick fumbled Glenn Cronin’s shot and Patrick Madden was perfectly placed to seal the victory, maintaining his side’s unbeaten record in the competition.
Bohemians are favourites to win the group as they hold a three-point lead over Glentoran, who travel to Dalymount Park in two weeks’ time.
In Group One, Cliftonville suffered a third consecutive defeat in pool one as they went down 3-0 to Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds.
Rovers had to wait until the 39th minute for their opening goal which came from Daniel Ventre. However, once in front, Rovers gave Cliftonville few chances for a come-back.
In the final minute of the first half Sligo ensured they went in with a 2-0 half-time lead when Eoin Doyle took advantage of good play by Matt Blinkhorn to score.
Striker Padraig Amond made it 3-0 with four minutes of the match remaining.
Cliftonville had lost 1-0 to Cork City and 3-2 at home to Sligo in their opening two pool fixtures.
