Brouder pounces in injury-time to snatch a point for United

Athlone Town 2

Galway United 2

Keith Kelly at the Athlone Town Stadium

An injury-time goal from Killian Brouder saw Galway United round-off their First Division campaign by snatching a draw away to Athlone Town on Saturday night.

United went into the game looking to end a season with four wins in regular league games for only the second time in the club’s history, but instead they were somewhat fortunate to claim a draw against a home side that had the better of things for much of the game.

Alan Murphy made five changes to the side that edged home against Limerick in a thriller the previous Monday by the odd goal in five. Two were expected – Stephen Walsh and Marc Ludden returned to the side, having sat out the win over Limerick through suspension.

Donal Higgins was carrying a slight knock, so he wasn’t risked from the first whistle on Saturday, with Joshua Keane-Quinlavin starting on the wing instead; Kevin Horgan was given a rest, allowing Cian Mulryan to make his debut between the sticks; while Joe Collins returned to the side, with Dara Costelloe missing out.

Back in United’s early says in the league, when they played as Galway Rovers, Athlone were enjoying their halcyon days as the team to be feared by all. They won back-to-back league titles in 1981 and 82 – their only league titles – as well as the League Cup in 1982 and ’83.

Two years before the Tribesmen joined the league, the Town held the mighty AC Milan to a scoreless draw in St Mel’s Park in the Second Round of the UEFA Cup – and they had a penalty saved as well. They lost the away leg 3-0 in the San Siro, but it was still a result that caused shockwaves

These days, they are playing on a plastic pitch down a sliproad just off the motorway, where little toerags lurk in small packs in the car-park, trying to fire fireworks over the boundary fence and into the ground.

In fairness, is a multiple improvement on the kip that was St Mel’s Park, but Mel’s had a bit of soul to it, a bit of character – and, for United, fond memories of their 1985 FAI Cup semi-final win. The Athlone Town Stadium has all the character and soul of wet cardboard.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.