United finally end home woes with critical win over Wexford

Galway United 2

Wexford 0

GALWAY United finally got off the mark on their home turf on Friday night when goals from Conor Barry and Maurice Nugent sealed a first home win of the season to lift the side off the foot of the table.

A poor first-half was lit-up in the 29th minute by a wonder-strike from Barry; and Nugent sealed the win ten minutes from time, passing the ball into the unguarded net after Wilson Waweru’s effort came back off the crossbar.

United fielded without the suspended duo of Stephen Walsh and Dara Costelloe, with the absence of Walsh in particular sorely felt as the defence led a charmed life at times. A better side than Wexford would have punished the home side’s defensive shortcomings, but maybe this was the turn in fortune that United have been missing in recent weeks.

The first 30 minutes or so, until United took the lead, will live long in the memory, but only because the fare on offer was so poor. It was wretched stuff at times, befitting a game between the two teams at the foot of the table, but Barry’s goal seemed to give the United players an injection of confidence, and they went on to record a deserved win.

To be fair, it wasn’t all bad, with Conor Melody putting in the kind of performance that should be his bread and butter every week, given his talent and ability. He gave Lee Costelloe such a roasting that the hapless Wexford full-back was hauled ashore with 10 minutes of the first-half still remaining; and his replacement, Daragh O’Connor, fared little better.

Apart from a few poor deliveries, Colin Kelly showed glimpses of his class – and that his natural home is wide on the wing, and not in the middle of the park, a position in which Donal Higgins did well in a 16-minute cameo after coming on as a substitute.

Kevin Horgan was also dominant in his penalty area; Vinny Faherty gave his usual display of honesty and tireless work; while Waweru continues to show the threat that he can become if he continues to work hard, and to learn from Faherty.

It was jittery stuff at times from United, though, not least in the fourth minute when Nugent – who wore the captain’s armband in Walsh’s absence – screwed an attempted clearance across his own goal rather than 40 yards down the pitch, but Danny Doyle’s snapshot flew back in the direction from where the ball initially came.

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

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