Keegan’s intervention to see Galway FC prolong season

Shelbourne 1

Galway FC 1

Jake Keegan cemented his status as a cult hero amongst Galway FC fans when he headed home a deserved equaliser five minutes from time in Tolka Park on Friday night to all but secure a promotion play-off spot for Tommy Dunne’s side.

Keegan’s goal means Galway FC go into next Sunday’s final game of the season three points clear of Wexford Youths, who are the visitors to Eamonn Deacy Park, but with the Tribesmen enjoying a far superior goal difference, Wexford will need a winning margin of seven goals if they are to leapfrog their hosts.

Friday had all the hallmarks of it being just one of those nights for Galway FC when nothing would go right as home goalkeeper Nathan Murphy had the kind of inspired performance that would have fitted in perfectly with a storyline from Roy Race’s Melchester Rovers (younger readers – ask your dad!).

He pulled off a series of top-drawer saves, including saving a 60th minute penalty from Ryan Manning, but he was eventually beaten five minutes from time with the deftest of headers from Keegan. Manning picked up possession wide on the left and curled the ball into the box, and Keegan timed his run to perfection, running across the defenders to meet the ball at the near post and while Murphy got a hand to the ball, he couldn’t prevent it from crossing the line.

As expected, Alex Byrne slotted into the heart of midfield on Friday night in place of the suspended Ryan Connolly in the only change from the side that snatched a 96th minute winner against Cobh Ramblers the previous Saturday.

As for the hosts, they made a staggering five changes to the side beaten away at Finn Harps that same weekend, with the injured Gary Dempsey the only enforced change in that quintet. They adopted the traditional 4-4-2 formation, but at times it was if they were playing with just two central defenders at the back as full-backs Brian Gannon and Lee Desmond pushed right up alongside – and often ahead of – their two wingers.

That should have meant they were vulnerable to the counter-attack, but for that to happen, Galway FC needed possession, and the visitors had hardly a kick of the ball in the opening 10 minutes. For all that, a lot of the Shelbourne play was lateral, with Conor Gleeson never called in to action.

The visitors finally began to settle, and Keegan found space to drive at the heart of the home defence just as the clock ticket into double digits, holding off John Sullivan to create the opening, but he lashed a shot wide as his balance deserted him.

He turned provider two minutes later when exploiting the space vacated by Gannon to curl an inviting cross into the box, but Vinny Faherty didn’t know whether to head it or stick a leg out, and in the end did neither.

Galway had overcome their early nerves and they grew as a threat, with the pace of Manning and Gary Shanahan proving such a concern for the home side that Gannon took the proverbial ‘one for the team’ when hauling Manning down just five yards inside the Shels half as the underage international looked set to skin him and head for goal.

But it was Keegan who was proving to be the biggest thorn in the side of Shels, and only a fine save by Murphy denied him the opener in the 20th minute after he rode the challenge of two defenders, and skipped past the would-be tackles of two more.

Galway were applying all the pressure, but they needed to turn it into a goal. They almost got one in the 32nd minute when Murphy opted to punch, rather than catch, a Manning free-kick. The ball landed at the feet of Paddy Barrett, who hit it on the half-volley, and while Murphy was beaten, Willo McDonagh was on hand to clear off the line. And then Shels scored.

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