League Report: Galway United 1 - 1 Dundalk

Paul Corcoran reports from Eamonn Deacy Park

Galway United move into third place in the Premier Division after a 1-1 draw with Dundalk at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night.

Despite the point gained, the Tribesmen will be disappointed as they conceded an injury time goal which prevented them moving two points behind Shelbourne.

Dundalk began this game on the front foot and took every opportunity to move the ball into the final third, they failed to really make their attacks count with just one shot on target in the opening half an hour as Robbie Benson drew a save from Brendan Clarke in the fourth minute.

The Tribesmen struggled to get on the attack with Vince Borden heading the ball wide in the 19^th minute after a good cross from Colm Horgan, Ross Munroe was called into action shortly after to slap away a first time cross from Greg Cunningham on the left.

Munro nearly made a disastrous error in the 39^th minute when he cleared the ball to Jimmy Keohane – the Galway midfielder passing the ball to Pat Hickey who raced into the box only for the attack to be snuffed out by Hayden Cann with a last ditch tackle.

Karl O’Sullivan entered the game in the 27^th minute due to a heavy knock to Ed McCarthy and the midfielder proved to be a game changer when he crossed the ball into the box five minutes from half-time, Hickey rose highest to blast the ball into the net with his head.

After the re-start Killian Brouder did well to make an important clearance when the Lilywhites got at the Galway defence through good link up paly between substitutes Dara Keane and Norman Garbett – the defender’s intervention denied a gilt edged chance for Jamie Gullan.

O’Sullivan nearly found the net for the home side in the 55^th minute when he worked the ball into the box before firing a shot off, Munro nearly conceded the deflected shot, but the goalkeeper recovered well to scop the ball off the line.

United were under pressure again in the 65^th minute, this time John Mountney fired a great ball in from the right finding Dara Keane, but Brouder was well placed to clear the ball off the line once again.

Cann made another important intervention in the 82^nd minute when Greg Cunningham found Stephen Walsh with a through ball, his snap shot may well have found the net if not for the defender’s sliding block.

There was a scramble in the Galway box with just a few minutes of ordinary time to go, substitute Eoin Kenny had two bites of the cherry but on both occasions Stephen Walsh blocked the striker’s effort.

There was a heated moment on the sideline as Aodh Dervin took Greg Cunningham out with a dangerous looking challenge after losing the ball. Eoghan O’Shea opted for just a yellow card for the former Galway United player. Plenty of words were exchanged between Cunningham and Dervin on the sideline in the afters.

Cunningham was left on the field although visibly in discomfort as Galway United had used their three substitute windows with Walsh taking his place at left back.

Disaster struck for the home side as with one last effort Dundalk got the ball into the box with Eoin Kenny heading the ball into the back of the net to rescue a point for the Lilywhites.

Galway United: Brendan Clarke; Killian Brouder, Garry Buckley, Greg Cunningham, Colm Horgan; Vincent Borden (David Hurley 70), Patrick Hickey (Robert Slevin 84), Jimmy Keohane, Edward McCarthy (Karl O’Sullivan 27), Conor McCormack; Stephen Walsh.

Subs not used: Jack Brady, Regan Donelon, Jeannot Esua, Conor O'Keeffe, Brian Cunningham, Bobby Burns.

Booked: None.

Dundalk: Ross Munro; Andrew Boyle, Hayden Cann, Sean Keogh (Eoin Kenny 80), John Mountney; Robert Benson (Dara Keane 46), Aodh Dervin, Paul Doyle (Norman Garbett 46), Daryl Horgan (Ryan O'Kane 72), Koen Oostenbrink (Jad Hakiki 72); Jamie Gullan.

Subs not used: Peter Cherrie, Mayowa Animasahun, Bobby Faulkner, Scott McGill.

Booked: Paul Doyle (10), Aodh Dervin (90).

Referee: Eoghan O’Shea.

Attendance: 4,291 (official)

extratime.com Player of the Match: Killian Brouder (Galway United)

Madison Gibson scopes September’s SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division Player of the Month Award https://t.co/PlJwDmH6yqpic.twitter.com/bIBl4QOsgW

— extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) October 4, 2024