Keith Treacy: Bohemians lacking backbone in race to avoid the drop

It's been a worrying period for Bohemians in the SSE Airticity League, and Keith Treacy says they'll have to develop a bit of back bone if they want to avoid being drawn into a relegation tussle for the rest of the season.

Bohs have won just once in their last 10 games in the league to leave them only four points clear of the promotion/relegation play-off place currently occupied by Dundalk, and six clear of bottom club Drogheda United and the drop.

While Alan Reynolds's men still have two games in hand over the Lilywhites, their current form suggests that the additional fixtures might not be worth much to the north Dublin club.

Their next four league games are tough fixtures as they face leaders Shelbourne home and away, second placed Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, and Shamrock Rovers - their fiercest rivals - at Dalymount Park.

Taking any points from those four games is a big ask for the Gypsies based upon their recent performances, with Friday's 3-2 defeat to Waterford a real lowpoint.

Bohs looked to have found their rhythm as they moved two up inside 37 minutes in Phibsboro. They couldn't hold on though, as the Blues turned the game on its head after the break.

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The sting of defeat was compounded by Dayle Rooney's penalty deep into stoppage time which came crashing back off the underside of the crossbar.

And it was the nature of that collapse in less than 40 minutes which, according to Treacy, will most worry Reynolds.

"There's always going to be periods in the