Galway FC blow winning hand in vital league tie

Waterford UTD 1

Galway FC  1

If ever a final scoreline failed to accurately reflect the tone and tenor of a game, then this was it on Friday night. Galway FC left the South-East with a point, but will be kicking themselves it wasn’t all three after a defensive howler saw them concede a late equaliser to undo all their good work in what was an entertaining game.

The visitors had a dream start, taking the lead through a Martin Conneely header in the fourth minute, but they had a nightmare finish to the game. Reduced to 10 men two minutes earlier after central defender Paddy Barrett picked up his second yellow card of the night, the home side launched a rare attack on the Galway FC goal in the 80th minute.

Andrew O’Connor lumped a ball towards the edge of the 18 yard box, Conor Gleeson came but never got there and as the ball broke outside the box, Kevin O’Connor chipped it back over the heads of the Galway defenders and into the unguarded goal to snatch an undeserved equaliser.

It was a galling outcome for a visiting side that completely dominated, if not the game, then certainly the final hour of proceedings, but once again a failure to take their chances came back to haunt them.

They hit the woodwork twice, and also spurned four one-on-one situations with Waterford ’keeper Kevin Burns – if it had been a boxing match, referee Shane Dunphy would have called time on the contest in favour of the visitors long before that late equaliser.

Despite a poor performance against Longford Town the previous week, Tommy Dunne made just one change in personnel to his side, with Derek O’Brien coming in to the side in place of Gary Shanahan, a change which saw Jason Molloy switch to the right wing to accommodate O’Brien’s introduction.

That meant that new signing Enda Curran started on the bench, and it was hard to reconcile the fact that, with the side needing a second goal to kill off the game, Curran – who was signed for his ability in front of goal – wasn’t introduced. Assistant manager Leo Tierney said after the game that Curran is not quite match-fit yet.

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