League Report: Galway United 2 - 4 Dundalk

The League leaders Dundalk came to Deacy Park and while they looked the part for most of this game, they had to survive a late fright before grabbing a flattering fourth goal with the last kick.

The home side looked quite nervous from the outset and goalkeeper Conor Winn had to be alert early on to save from Meenan and McMillan - the latter's header bringing a great reflex reaction from the Galway keeper after seven minutes.

Ryan Connolly picked up a yellow card for a foul on Daryl Horgan after 12 minutes before his free a minute later was headed goalwards by Enda Curran and easily held by Rogers.

The pattern for the next twenty minutes was Galway getting men behind the ball and closing down in the final third while Dundalk used their possession of the ball to probe for a breakthrough.

That breakthrough came after 34 minutes when Marc Ludden fouled Richie Towell, picking up a yellow card along the way for his troubles. Towell picked himself up and banged a 30 yarder straight into the net. Dundalk were now playing with a pep in their step thanks to the lead goal, but Galway kept their shape well and stuck to their own game plan.

That patience should have paid off on 43 minutes, when Ryan Connolly showed some fine touches before sending Jake Keegan clear but his calculated effort scraped just wide ensuring Dundalk would head to the dressing rooms with their slender lead intact.

The opening minutes of the second half resembled a chess game with the Lilywhites trying to gain advantage and Galway stubbornly taking the game to them.  The visitors doubled their advantage on 58 minutes when Dane Massey rose unopposed to head home from Meenan's corner.  Nine minutes later Richie Towell banged in their third and it looked like a rout might be on the cards. The third goal was harsh reminder to Galway that top sides like Dundalk capitalise on mistakes - this time it was keeper Winn's palming the ball into the league’s top scorers path.

Three goals down with a little over twenty minutes to go, one would be forgiven for thinking that a side 'would fold their tent' - however this Galway side is made of sterner stuff and sticking to their task they opened a shaft of light after 74 minutes. Enda Curran showed Towell that he is not the only one who can crack a free into the net from 30 yards, stepping up after Paddy Barrett entered the referee’s book for a mistimed tackle.

Padraic Cunningham, introduced on 61 minutes, brought Galway right back into the game with six minutes remaining when he literally beat the Dundalk central defenders in the air and latched onto his own header before calmly beating Rogers from 18 yards.

Galway now poured forward in search of the equaliser and in the second minute of the four added minutes they almost grabbed it, Rogers however pulled off a great save form Shanahan. Dundalk grabbed a late fourth when Daryl Horgan, benefited from his brother Colm's only error in the entire game, to sprint clear and set up Mountney for a cruel end to a frantic last few minutes.

Galway can be proud of their performance - they literally scared the life out of Dundalk in the final ten minutes, before the classic 'sucker punch' put a gloss on the score line. Curran, Walsh and Connolly had very good outings for Galway while Stephen O'Donnell was majestic in the midfield for Dundalk and of course Towell's finishing was nothing short of clinical. Perhaps that was just the difference between the sides.

Dundalk now match on into Europe with a spring in their step!

Galway United: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Paul Sinnott, Stephen Walsh, Marc Ludden (Killian Cantwell, 81); Jake Keegan, Alex Byrne, David O’Leary (Padraic Cunningham, 62), Kevin Garcia (Gary Shanahan, 56); Ryan Connolly; Enda Curran.

Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle (Paddy Barrett, 72), Dane Massey; Darren Meenan, Stephen O’Donnell, Ronan Finn (Chris Shields, 76), Richie Towell, Daryl Horgan; David McMillan (John Mountney, 85).

Referee: Padraigh Sutton (Clare)

Attendance: 1,005

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Stephen O'Donnell (Dundalk)