League of Ireland Premier Division/Sligo Rovers 2 Bohemians 1:Bohemians hopes of salvaging something from this Premier Division game were dashed in five minutes of high drama at the Showgrounds on Saturday night.
The Dublin side left with nothing after Fahrudin Kudozovic won the game for Sligo with a goal from the penalty spot in the fourth minute of added time.
Dublin referee Declan Hanney - who had shown 10 yellow cards, seven to the visitors - had no hesitation in pointing to the spot after former Sligo player Liam Burns brought down Kudozovic.
Sligo manager Paul Cooke was also sent from the dugout area but, while tempers flared on the field on a few occasions, the tense atmosphere never looked like boiling over.
Both sides saw good scoring chances missed with John Paul Kelly putting a glorious opportunity to win it for Bohemians astray on 91 minutes.
Bohemians manager Sean Connor acknowledged that his side had "a very poor first half and would have been happy to have taken a point".
"We had an opportunity to put pressure on St Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda but now we're back in the queue," he added.
This was Connor's first visit to the Showgrounds since he left the club in controversial circumstances last November and some Rovers fans, resentful at his sudden departure on that occasion, let their feelings be known during the game.
Sligo were a goal up after nine minutes when Matthew Judge rifled the ball to the visitors' net after Keith Foy blasted his shot against the post.
Former Sligo Rovers striker Darren Mansaram had a shot at goal on 17 minutes but Sligo goalkeeper Richard Brush saved easily.
A long-range effort by Raphael Cretaro came to nothing in the 27th minute before Jason McGuinness was denied by Brush at the other end.
Sligo native Mark Rossiter squared the match from the penalty spot three minutes into the second half after Seamus Coleman impeded the inrushing Glen Crowe.
Stephen Rice and Kevin Hunt tested the Sligo defence and Conor O'Grady blazed the ball wide of Brian Murphy's goal as the pace increased.
Rossiter missed a great chance to put the Dublin side ahead on 64 minutes and Eoin Heary headed wide from a Neale Finn corner with only Brush to beat in the 74th minute.
Disaster struck for Bohemians in stoppage time when Liam Burns brought down Kudozovic who converted the resultant penalty.
Paul Cooke was pleased with the win and with his team's overall performance. "We don't get many decisions from officials and sometimes it's rough justice," he said.
Cooke praised his players for their "honesty and effort" but said the team would have to be "more professional and get fitter and stronger".
SLIGO ROVERS: Brush, Coleman, Foy, Peers, McKenzie, O'Grady, Cretaro (Kelly, 60 mins), Manson, Hughes, Kudozovic, Judge (Flannery, 70 mins).
BOHEMIANS: Murphy, McGuinness, E Heary, Hunt (JP Kelly, 78 mins), Burns, Powell (D Byrne, 66 mins), Mansaram, T Heary (Rossiter, 39 mins), Finn, Rice, Crowe.
Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).
