SD Galway 1 - 1 Wexford Youths

SD Galway began life at their new home in Terryland Park with a deserved first point of the season as they came from a goal down against last week’s big scorers, Wexford Youths, to claim a share of the points.

A forgetable first half, devoid of any goalmouth action, got decidedly better in the second period as we witnessed two cracking goals, one early and one late in the half. The first half failed to produce a single shot on target by either side as the game developed into a scrappy midfield battle.

Both sides had penalty shouts turned down by referee Keith Callanan in the opening quarter of an hour as Mike Tierney’s early claim was waved away, as was Shane Nolan’s after he was bundled over in the box by Willie Enubele.

Tony Mannion’s side’s first real threat came on 35 minutes after some good passing play resulted in Tierney receiving a pass from Mikey Gilmore on the penalty spot but just as he was about to unleash a goal bound effort, a great tackle from CJ Browne blocked his attempt.

Wexford responded when a long ball almost released last week’s four goal hero, Tom Elmes, but an alert Liam Grant raced off his line to block the striker’s effort with his legs. The best chance of the half arrived three minutes from the break as Mike Harty headed wide at the back post from one of the many excellent dead ball deliveries from Brian Gaffney.

A minute later and Harty almost got on the end of a dangerous Gilmore cross from the right which flew across Graham Doyle’s goalmouth but failed to get the required touch to send it home as the half ended scoreless.

The second half started a lot better as both teams went looking for an opening score. Gilmore had the first shot on target two minutes after the re-start as he fired straight into Doyle’s arms. Shane Nolan then saw his on-target effort deflected wide by his own player as Elmes ensured a goal-kick, while Danny Furlong pulled his effort wide from the edge of the box following a corner on 50 minutes.

Three minutes later, and completely out of nothing, the visitors hit the front with a wonderful strike. Midfielder Shane Dempsey latched onto a loose ball to execute a brilliant 30 yard volley straight into Grant’s bottom corner with his side’s first shot on target on 53 minutes.

Wexford began to get on top after this with Elmes shooting just wide before SD Galway made a tactical double substitution as youngsters Timmy Molloy and Ronan Conlon replaced the hard working but ineffective Harty and Enubele on 67 minutes.

Furlong should have doubled the “pinks” lead on 78 minutes but he hit a weak shot into Grant’s arms after being picked out, unmarked at the back post, by Dempsey. With Molloy and Conlon now making a difference to the home side’s attacking options with both unafraid to run at the Wexford defence, an equaliser arrived but not before some close shaves.

With ten minutes remaining Mike Tierney headed Gaffney’s corner against Doyle’s crossbar with the keeper well beaten, while a minute later Gilmore saw his goal bound effort blocked on the line by CJ Browne as the home side suddenly found their attacking threat.

Another good Gilmore run was brought to a halt by Shane Nolan’s foul on the former Galway Utd striker about 25 yards out. From the resultant free-kick Gaffney stepped up and coolly curled his effort over the visitor’s wall and into the top corner, Doyle even moving, with seven minutes remaining.

Elmes collected a pass from Malone on the edge of the box and twisted and turned Eric Browne but fired straight at Grant on 85 minutes. But with the goal having buoyed them up, the home side poured forward in search of a winning start to life at the Dyke Road venue. The closest they came to it was when another deep Gaffney free-kick forced Doyle to punch the ball away from under his bar for another corner.

The point a piece keeps Wexford on top of the First Division table, for tonight at least, while the home side will be happy to have started a new era at Terryland Park with a positive result and their first point of the new campaign.

SD Galway: Liam Grant; Nicky Curran, Tommy Bradshaw, Paddy Quinlan, Brian Geraghty (Eric Browne ’46); Willie Enubele (Ronan Conlon ’67), Michael Harty (Timmy Molloy ’67), Eugene Greaney, Brian Gaffney; Mikey Gilmore, Mike Tierney.

Subs not used: Colm Horgan, Cian Fadden, Gerry Dolan and Ronan Burke (GK)

Bookings: Harty (20), Gilmore (37).

Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle; Brian Nolan, James Darmody, Jamie Carr, CJ Browne; Shane Dempsey, Aiden Keenan (Dean Broaders ’69), Paul Malone, Shane Nolan (Thomas Croke ’90); Danny Furlong, Tom Elmes,

Subs not used: Cormac O’Brien (GK), Mark Phelan, James Scallon, Shane Clarke, John Yeats.

Bookings: B Nolan (37), S Dempsey (42), S Nolan (82).

Referee: Keith Callanan (Cork).

Attendance: 347

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Mikey Gilmore (Salthill Devon) – Tireless display up front all night deserved a goal.