LEAGUE OF IRELAND Bohemians 3 Dundalk 2: GOALS IN each half by Jason Byrne helped Bohemians record their first win in five games with a narrow victory at Dalymount Park last night

With nearest rivals Shamrock Rovers not in action until they take on Bray Wanderers at Tallaght Stadium tonight, Bohemians again move four points ahead at the top of the table with eight games to play.

Respective managers Pat Fenlon and Seán Connor had to make several changes because of suspensions, with Bohemians minus Gary Deegan and Brian Murphy and Dundalk without Liam Burns, Michael Daly and Darren Mansaram.

Bohemians had an early chance when a long ball out of defence by Mark Rossiter was taken in his stride by winger Joseph Ndo who then produced a perfect cross from the left, only for skipper Paul Keegan to shoot just wide.

But Keegan made no mistake on 13 minutes when he headed powerfully home in a crowded goalmouth after an inswinging corner on the right by Killian Brennan.

Tiernan Mulvenna then set up fellow striker Alex Williams with two Dundalk chances in quick succession. First he shot tamely at goalkeeper Matt Gregg, then overran the ball while trying to round Gregg.

Against the run of play Dundalk equalised on 37 minutes when Williams chased a long ball over the top of the defence. Gregg completely miscued his clearance from the edge of the box and the ball fell for winger Ger Rowe to fire into the unguarded net from 25 yards.

But Bohemians regained the lead on 41 minutes when striker Byrne swept home a cross from the left by Conor Powell. The goal looked offside but Dublin referee Declan Hanney allowed it to stand.

Byrne had his second goal of the night on 51 minutes and his 18th league goal of the season when he ran onto a long ball over the top and shot home left-footed past Peter Cherrie from 10 yards.

Dundalk might have reduced the lead when a long-range effort from Michael Collins was pushed out by an unsure Gregg. Somehow he then managed to block Williams’s effort on the rebound.

Bohemians seemed to take the foot off the pedal in the latter stages of the second half and were made to pay the penalty when Michael McGowan’s 85th-minute free from 30 yards was deflected off the head of substitute Glen Crowe and into the net.

The game finished on a sour note when Collins, who had been booked earlier, was shown the red card after a foul in the Bohemians’ goalmouth on 89 minutes.

BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Rossiter (O Heary 35), Oman, Shelley, Powell; Brennan (A Murphy 78), Cronin, Keegan, Ndo; Byrne (Crowe 78), Madden.

DUNDALK: Cherrie; Shaun Kelly, Coburn, T Heary, N Murphy (Simon Kelly 78); Rowe, Turner, Collins, McGowan; Mulvenna, Williams.

Referee: Declan Hanney(Dublin).