Galway FC advance to quarter-finals of EA Sports Cup

Tommy Dunne made eight changes to the side that defeated Waterford United in the league on Friday night, with only Colm Horgan, Alex Byrne and Faherty retained from that starting XI as the manager opted to give his extended squad a run.

In something of a gamble, be opted to start both Sean Gavin and Shane McGinty in the heart of midfield, and given the fact they were up against a Harps side that packed midfield in a 4-5-1 formation, the inexperienced duo struggled early on.

However the early nerves looked to have been settled with an early goal courtesy of Faherty. Jake Keegan made space on the left to hit a dipping volley from 20 yards which beat Shaun Patton but hit the far post, but it pounced back in to the danger area and Faherty side-footed home from eight yards.

The visitors did enjoy more possession than any other side that has visited Eamonn Deacy Park this season, and as the half wore on they looked more and more of a threat. Paul McVeigh – who was proving a right nuisance for the Galway defence – went close in the 25^thminute when he was picked out in the box by James Doherty, but his connection was poor.

Three minutes later and McVeigh got sight of goal again, applying the slightest of touches to Johnny Bonner’s corner from the right, but Horgan was on hand to clear off the line. Young Doherty regularly got forward from full-back for the visitors, but tried his luck from distance on three occasions, but each time his effort flew well over Ger Hanley’s crossbar.

Josh Mailey was allowed to advance from midfield on the half-hour mark, strolling past the challenges of Shane McGinty and Cian Fadden before letting fly from 20 yards, but while his shot had Hanley beaten, it crashed back off the base of the post.

The visitors were cutting through the Galway midfield at will, but Hanley’s goal survived until half-time, although the home side did threaten late-on through Derek O’Brien, the captain for the night putting in a couple of good crosses from the left, but there was no-one at home to get on the end of them.

Galway improved in the early stages of a second half that was largely played 20 yards either side of the half way line, and they offered more of a threat when Stephen Walsh and Ryan Connolly were introduced to the action.

Walsh was on the pitch for less than a minute when he got on the end of a Faherty pass, but his shot from 20 yards was comfortably saved by Patton. Still, it was the first shot on goal by the home side in that second half.

The introduction of Paul Sinnott helped shore-up the over-run Galway midfield, and chances were at a premium but McVeigh should have forced the tie into extra time two minutes into injury time when Mailey picked him out in the box, but with time and space, he fired wide from 12 yards.

“It wasn’t the best performance we have had this year, but in saying that we are in to the quarter-final of the league cup; we had a lot of players get game time; we kept a clean sheet, so overall you can’t be too disappointed when that happens,” Dunne said after the game.

“We took a bit of a chance in a sense that a lot of lads who got a start tonight hadn’t been featuring, you could see some of them getting a bit ‘leggy’ around the 60 minute mark, and two games in a weekend is tough for guys too

“That said, to get the two wins this weekend helps from momentum side of things, the lads are putting a lot of time and effort into it, we’ll be hoping we can go to Tallaght next Sunday and pick up three points – if you’ve any aspirations of keeping up with Shels, I think we might have to pick up three points,” he said.

So Galway FC join Derry City, Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers, Cork City, and the winners of the ties between Wexford Youth and Cobh Ramblers; Longford Town and Mervue United; and Bohemian FC and St Patrick’s Athletic.

Galway FC: Hanley; Owens, Fadden, Byrne, Horgan; Shanahan, Gavin (Connolly 72), McGinty (Sinnott 82), O’Brien (Walsh 71); Keegan, Faherty.

Finn Harps: Patton; Doherty (Flanagan 85), C Bonner, Mailey, J Bonner; Tiofack, Fisher (Black 70), Forker (McCann 85), Harkin; McVeigh, Mailey.

Referee: Ray Matthews (Midlands).