Struggling United see red over refereeing howler

Galway United 0

Sligo Rovers 1

IT’S not quite crisis point just yet, but a sixth defeat in seven league games has left Galway United with a job of work to do to ensure their return to the top flight is not the briefest of visits.

Ultimately the game was decided by a mind-boggling howler by referee Neil Doyle, who was the only person in the ground that felt Ger Hanley had fouled Raffaele Cretaro in the fifth minute when making a clean connection to punch away Dinny Corcoran’s cross from the right.

The problem was, his was the only opinion that mattered, and Corcoran’s grubber from the penalty spot took the faintest of bounces to deceive Hanley, who had guessed the right way, to nestle in the back of the net.

United were rightly aggrieved after the game with that shocker by Doyle, but the simple fact is they still had 85-plus minutes to recover from that setback, but they failed to do so against what is arguably the worst Sligo Rovers side I have seen in 15 years.

The visitors fielded three U-19s in a defence that came into the game without a clean sheet from their first six games, but they held firm to record not only a first shut-out, but also a first win of the season.

The hard-luck stories are beginning to mount for United, but tales of woes won’t put points on the board, and the home side were partial authors of their own downfall, particularly with the team selection.

Padraic Cunningham had scored twice the previous Monday in the EA Sports Cup against Cockhill Celtic, but he started Friday’s game on the bench – what kind of message does that send out to a player who looked a real nuisance when finally introduced in the 70th minute?

Yes, he did waste United’s best chance when heading straight at Richard Brush in the 78th minute, but at least he got in a position to threaten the visitors’ goal.

United also played a number of players out of position – central midfielders Alex Byrne and Ryan Connolly at right back and left wing respectively, and right-back Colm Horgan at left-back.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.