Bohemians 3 Sligo Rovers 0: GETTING TO the top and staying there are two different things as everyone knows but that was the task facing Pat Fenlon as his Bohemians team aimed to retain pole position after eclipsing their southside rivals, St Patrick's Athletic, to claim top spot earlier in the week.
But Bohemians last night made it five straight wins in succession with Neale Fenn's 15th minute strike sending them on their way to another victory.
Bohemians' current run of form may make depressing reading for the chasing pack but it is worth noting that in Fenlon's last championship-winning season with Shelbourne in 2006, the club had a rather shaky run-in when winning just two of their last six games before eventually claiming the title on goal difference over Derry City.
Given that experience, Fenlon will not be getting too carried away at this early stage but he couldn't have asked for a better start with his new club.
Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how long Fenlon will persist with the experiment of playing Jason Byrne down the wing in what could be construed as a bid to appease his four top strikers.
Added to that Glen Crowe has now gone nine games without a league goal since breaking Turlough O'Connor's goalscoring record. The scoreline may suggest otherwise but despite two late goals, from Killian Brennan and an own goal from Gavin Peers, this was far from plain sailing for Bohs.
But the home side began brightly with Crowe over powering a defender down the left only to shoot straight at the keeper on seven minutes. Sligo forced their first corner of the game shortly afterwards but a Sligo player ventured just offside after Matt Judge had got a glancing header on Brian Cash's corner from the left.
Bohemians then struck for their opener on 15 minutes when the unmarked Fenn picked up possession from outside the penalty area before placing a low shot inside Pat Jennings.
Bohemians continued to snipe away in midfield with former Irish under-19 skipper John Paul Kelly an influential figure. But the home side were almost punished for their complacency when Rafael Cretaro got in behind the defence only to shoot straight at keeper Brian Murphy.
On 38 minutes, Murphy tipped over an effort from Brian Cash after the Sligo midfielder had attempted to chip him from just outside the box.
Sligo now had their tails up and it took an important intervention from Mark Rossiter to divert a dangerous ball out of the path of an incoming Sligo player.
Bohs came close to doubling their lead on 55 minutes when Killian Brennan's free from outside the box was tipped away by keeper Jennings at his right post. And then moments later, Séamus Coleman cleared off the line with his head after Liam Burns had sent in a ball from the left.
Sligo then forced three successive corners to set the alarm bells in the Bohemians defence. But disaster almost struck for Rovers at the other end on 67 minutes when an attempted clearance cannoned off Crowe and over the keeper. Fortunately for Sligo the ball dropped the wrong side of the posts.
The game now was becoming ever more unpredictable with both Glenn Cronin and Liam Burns forced to make important challenges as Sligo committed numbers forward in the second half.
But Bohemians, having ridden their luck for long stretches, finally got the second goal with seven minutes to go after John Paul Kelly had been upended inside the box.
Brennan following his goal heroics against Pat's, made it two goals in two with a low spot-kick.
And Sligo's night, which had promised so much earlier, ended rather shambolically when centre half Gavin Peers turned the ball into his own net.
BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Rossiter, Oman, Burns, Heary; Byrne, Kelly, Cronin, Brennan; Crowe, Fenn. Subs: Turner for Byrne (57 mins), Mansaram for Crowe (73 mins), McGinlay for Kelly (84 mins).
SLIGO ROVERS: Jennings; Coleman, McKenzie, Peers, Butler; Cash, O'Grady, Murphy, Cretaro; Kudozovic, Judge. Subs: Doherty for Cretaro (53 mins), Moore for Judge (75 mins), Curran for Murphy (80 mins).
Referee: M Gough (Limerick)
