United on warpath over referee’s actions in Sligo

Date Published: 28-May-2009

GALWAY United slumped to their third successive away defeat on Saturday night, Sligo Rovers scoring twice in the opening half hour to ensure United’s poor record in the Showgrounds continues.
Speaking after the game,
United manager Ian Foster insisted his side dominated the contest and deserved to take something from the game, but a less partisan view would suggest that United got exactly what they deserved as they looked toothless in attack and naïve in defence, particularly in the first half.
True, they were a much better side in the second half, but by that stage the horse hadn’t so much bolted as ran in Ballinrobe, fallen at the second last, been carted off to the glue factory and become the main ingredient of Sticky’s Stick Fast glue stick on the supermarket shelf.
To compound United’s woes, midfielder John Russell was sent off late in the game for a second bookable offence, and his dismissal, coupled with the decision to award Sligo a penalty in the 30th minute, had Foster fuming.
“The referee gave a ridiculous decision (for the penalty), the linesman was stood 10 yards away and didn’t give anything, but the referee was able to see through a crowd of bodies and give the penalty,” he said after the game.