Another red card as Galway United collapse in second half

Shamrock Rovers 3

Galway United 0

ANOTHER 45 minute performance, another red card, another defeat. Galway United’s visit to the Tallaght Stadium last Friday night was a snapshot of their season so-far, a performance not without hope, but not without concern either.

The visitors were impressive enough in the opening 45 minutes, and could argue that they were unlucky to go into the break a goal down, but it was a very different story in the second half as they struggled to get any kind of foothold in the game – the fact they didn’t have a single effort either on or off target in the second-half tells its own story.

United’s indiscipline cost them going into the game, with Stephen Walsh and Sam Oji both ruled out after their red cards against Longford Town the previous week; and on Friday night, Marc Ludden was given his marching orders 13 minutes from time for a second bookable offence.

That was United’s fourth red card of a season that is still only six games old – Oji was also sent-off against Drogheda United – and means United have more dismissals to their name than goals.

There are four teams now somewhat cut adrift at the foot of the table, and while there is no surprise that Galway, Limerick and Bray are down there, no one saw Sligo Rovers propping up the table at any stage this season.

They are the visitors to Eamonn Deacy Park this coming Friday night, and while United manager Dunne dismissed the suggestion that the game was the proverbial six-pointer even at this early stage of the season, there is no doubt that United need to get something from the game against a side that looks to be in complete disarray.

The absence of Walsh and Oji on Friday night meant Andy O’Connell and Kevin Garcia formed the centre-half partnership, as they had done against Cork City. It was the third different centre-back pairing in six games for United, and that lack of settled look to the heart of the back four has played a part in the poor start to the season.

Conor Winn kept his place between the sticks, and he justified his selection in the third minute when pulling off an excellent one-handed save to deny Michael Drennan, who beat the high off-side line drawn by United to create the space for the shot.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.