Shanahan scores late winner for Galway FC

Gary Shanahan scored a late winner for Galway FC against Longford Town on Saturday night as the visitors ran out 2-1 winners.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and the celebrations which greeted the goal were only enhanced by the memory of what happened when these sides last met at City Calling Stadium.

Back in April, Galway looked set to hang on for victory before Longford scored an injury time equaliser. On Saturday, after Longford had dominated much of the play, the away fans would have settled for a share of the spoils until Shanahan ghosted into the area to knock Jason Molloy’s cross past the hapless home ‘keeper.

What made this finish all the more remarkable was the way Tommy Dunne’s men, on the back of successive defeats to Shelbourne and Wexford Youths, had battled back after the blow of conceding a goal after just 90 seconds.

Galway were battered by the First Division leaders in the first eight minutes or so, but battled bravely for a morale-boosting win after right-back Colm Horgan blasted home an unlikely equaliser.

“It was the worst possible start against a team that is really on the ascendancy and had pretty much dominated all the teams in the league this year,” admitted the Galway FC manager afterwards.

“In fairness to the boys, they kept playing. We played some really good stuff in the first half and could have been maybe 2-1 up at half-time, but for a brilliant save by their ‘keeper just before the break.

“But then, in the second half, we found it difficult to get out, to get up the pitch. But, in saying that, as long as we defended as solidly as we did at times, it allowed us to keep going.”

Having conceded goals in injury-time in three games already this season, Dunne felt his players were entitled to a bit of luck on Saturday night.

“That isn’t the best we have played. We have played a lot better than that in other matches and lost, so tonight maybe we got our rewards as regards the persistence of trying and trying to win matches,” he told Sentinel Sport.

Dunne admitted that Galway were fortunate to leave Longford with all three points on the night. Just when it looked as though the visitors would escape with a draw, Shanahan ghosted into the box to force the ball home at short range.

“The last two games, we deserved something out of them and we didn’t get it. Possibly tonight, if you look back, you could say we didn’t deserve anything and got all three points,” he said.

“That’s the way it is. It is over the season and I don’t see anybody being above these at the end of the season, so it’s a fantastic three points. We have been robbed of results a few times. We have six games left now and now it’s back in our hands as regards a play-off spot.”