Nugent’s late header earns10-man Utd share of spoils

Cork City 1

Galway United 1

Keith Kelly at Turners Cross

MAURICE Nugent headed home in the last minute to rescue a fully-deserved point for a Galway United side that played the entire second half with 10 men after losing Stephen Walsh to the sixth red card of his United career just before the break.

The point was no more than United deserved, having being the better side in the second-half despite being down to 10 men, but it doesn’t really do a lot to lift the pressure on a side that finds itself eight points off top spot with one third of the season having been played.

There could be a very different attitude to life if United manage to turn over league leaders, Shelbourne, on their home patch in Tolka Park this Friday night, and they will certainly go into the game full of confidence after yet another last-gasp goal to follow in the footsteps of the injury-time winner against Wexford the previous week.

This time the watch had just tipped over into the 90th minute when United won their umpteenth throw-in deep inside the City half. Killian Brouder had been launching the previous throw-ins right into the City penalty area, but this time he took it short to Conor McCormack, who played it back to his feet on the left wing.

The big centre-half curled a cross to the back post which Gary Boylan managed to keep from going out of play, before somehow turning a cross back towards the goalmouth, and Nugent was on hand to steer home a header for the fifth United goal of his career to cap a gutsy display by the visitors, who once again showed character and the benefit of full-time training by still going at full pelt right up to the final whistle.

John Caulfield made two changes to his side for what was a first-ever meeting between the two clubs in the First Division – the others had come in either the Premier Division, or cup competitions.

David Hurley was handed a starting berth after his last-gasp heroics the previous week, while Mikey Place was also promoted from the bench, resulting in Mikey Rowe and Shane Duggan being demoted, with the latter sitting the game out due to a rib injury.

Both sides adopted matching 3-5-1-2 formations, but it was the home team who started brightly, and Cian Bargary tested Conor Kearns as early as the second minute after a counter-attack down the United left flank, the winger cutting inside the challenge of Walsh before shooting from a tight angle, but Kearns had it well covered.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.