United hit the spot to advance to last four of EA Sports Cup

Sligo Rovers 2

Galway United 2

After extra time Galway United win 3-1 on penalties

A largely second-string Galway United side went through to the semi-finals of the EA Sports Cup on Monday afternoon after defeating a full-strength Sligo Rovers side on penalties in the Showgrounds.

Successful spot-kicks from the excellent Stephen Folan, as well as Padraic Cunningham and Gavan Holohan, secured United’s passage to the last four in a game that won’t live long in the memory for anyone apart from those with a sadomasochistic streak to them.

After 90 minutes of dire stuff, a football match suddenly broke out in extra-time. The home side took the lead, United levelled within 60 seconds and then got their own noses in front; before Sligo Rovers sent the tie to penalties, thanks to a penalty five minutes from time.

It was the visitors who prevailed in the spot-kick lottery which, for a time, neither side appeared to want to win: Folan found the net with the first penalty, but the next four were all missed – Craig Roddan for Sligo Rovers (saved), Ronan Murray for United (saved), Liam Martin for the home side (wide), and United’s Colm Horgan (saved).

Kieran Sadlier levelled the shootout at 1-1 after three penalties each with the next effort, before Cunningham edged United back in front. Jonah Ayunga then clattered the crossbar with the home side’s fourth spot-kick, leaving Holohan to convert United’s fifth effort to secure their place in the semi-finals.

Shane Keegan made nine changes to the side which had stunned Dundalk in the league the previous Friday night, with Horgan and Folan the only two players to start both games, as the United manager obviously had one eye on this Friday’s crunch league tie away to Drogheda United.

It was the first home game in charge for new Sligo Rovers manager, Gerard Lyttle, who named a near full-strength side for the tie, with John Russell returning from suspension to take the place of Craig Roddan in midfield being the only change he made to the side which drew 1-1 with Drogheda United three days earlier.

The game started promisingly enough, but faded in quality the longer it went on, before really sparking to life in extra time with four goals. There was little between the sides in the early stages, before the home side got on top but there was a serious lack of quality from both sides in front of goal.

The home side thought they had opened the scoring when Mick Leahy headed home a Sadlier cross at the back-post in the 10th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Horgan was in the right place to block a Raffaele Cretaro shot in the 22nd minute, while at the other end, Michéal Schlingermann was relieved to see the ball bobble across the face of goal after a mistake by the goalkeeper gifted Cunningham a sight of goal.

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