Heartache for gallant Utd as the Hoops pounce late

Galway United 1

Shamrock Rovers 2

GALWAY United were knocked out of the FAI Cup in the cruellest of fashions on Friday night when former player, Lee Grace, headed home the winner in the third minute of injury time to snatch the win for the visitors.

In truth, Rovers were the better outfit, but if ever a team deserved reward for guts and courage and just digging-in in the face of almost overwhelming pressure, then this was it.

What made it all the more galling was the fact that it was two former United players who inflicted the mortal blows, with Aaron Greene popping up with a 55th minute equaliser after the Tribesmen had opened the scoring in the 34th minute.

Alan Murphy kept faith with the same starting XI that knocked out Cork in the last round, their most recent game, and why wouldn’t he given their display that night. However, it was a very different game against the Hoops than it was against City.

United’s cup run has seen the standard of opposition noticeably rise with every round, from non-league Collinstown to non-performing Cork City, but United were playing with the big boys on Friday night.

It was a cracking atmosphere from the start, thanks in no small part to the 400 or so Shamrock Rovers fans who made the journey West for the game for which the official attendance was given as 1,525, but looked an awful lot more.

Ronan Finn had the first sight of goal, United affording the visiting skipper far too much time and space to allow him get in a sighter in the seventh minute, but his 25-yard effort fizzed wide.

Grace sent a glancing header wide from the game’s first corner in the 14th minute; while Killian Brouder had to be alert to whip the ball off the toe of Graham Burke three minutes later as he took sight of goal from the edge of the box.

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

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