Refereeing clanger leaves Galway United chasing tie

Shamrock Rovers 2

Galway United 0

GALWAY United suffered their second consecutive defeat away from home on Friday night when a more clinical Shamrock Rovers side ensured that United’s 22-year wait for a win over them in Dublin will have to wait until September at the earliest.

A clanger from the referee early in the game, and poor defending from United at the end, saw the home side score twice to claim the win and move above United in the table, though with results elsewhere over the weekend, it means matters are very congested at the top as United sit just three points off the summit, and there are just four points separating the top six.

United made just one change from the side that defeated Bohemians the previous weekend, with Kevin Horgan making his first league start, and just third appearance, for United as Conor Winn was ruled out with a hand injury.

The visitors got off to a decent enough start, with balls over the top for both Vinny Faherty and Padraic Cunningham testing the Rovers defence. One in particular caught out Maxine Blanchard but as Cunningham looked to get past him, the Rovers defenders stuck out an arm to block his progress.

It was clear obstruction, but Dublin referee Paul Tuite waved play on, and the feeling that United would get nothing from the whistler was confirmed in the eighth minute when the home side took the lead.

Simon Madden dinked a ball forward from the right-back position which Brandon Miele clearly controlled, and took down, with his hand. Speaking after the game, both managers admitted it was a handball, and one Rovers mentor said the fourth official told the referee the same thing, but Tuite waved play on.

Miele was 35 yards from goal and still had plenty to do, but as the United defence backed off, he advanced to about 25 yards from goal before arrowing a shot inside Kevin Horgan’s near post for his second goal of the season.

“I thought it was a handball, but we should have defended it better. He still had plenty to do, we speak about certain things and we said Brandon Miele coming inside was a danger, but we backed off and backed off and didn’t go and close the space down,” said United manager Tommy Dunne after the game.

The goal both incensed, and rocked, United, and they lost their composure for a while but they had a glorious chance to equalise in the 20th minute. Kevin Devaney brilliantly picked the pocket of Madden down by the corner flag before whipping the ball into the box.

Gary Shanahan came steaming in off the right wing to hook the ball back across goal, and it fell perfectly for Cunningham 10 yards out, but as he pulled the trigger, David O’Connor threw his body in front of the shot and deflected the ball to safety.

Full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.