This Connaught derby was crucial for both teams in terms of their season. Sligo Rovers were looking to improve their chances of finishing in the top four while Galway United were of course looking for the win tonight in order to keep their chances of staying up alive.
Sligo made just one change from the side that recorded a draw in the Brandywell last week, David McDaid replacing Romauld Boco who is on international duty with Benin. Galway also made just one change with Jeff Kenna replacing the suspended Jonathan Keane with Alan Murphy tonight.
When the game started, it was Galway who made the brighter start as they played the more attacking football within the first ten minutes. However, they only had one genuine chance on goal when John Russell volleyed the ball after it was knocked down to him on the edge of the area. The ball seemed to be on its way inside the left post before it was snatched out the air by a flying Richard Brush.
For the remainder of the first half it was nearly continuous pressure from the Bit O’Red. Conor O’Grady headed over from a Brian Cash corner, while David McDaid and Rafael Cretaro also had chances to score from headers. United had another half chance to take the lead when an onrushing Jay O’Shea found himself one on one with Brush. The Sligo keeper swept up the danger and kept the score deadlocked.
Rovers had further chances to take the lead before the half time whistle, the first of these falling to Sligoman O’Grady. His shot though was comfortably dealt with by Gar Rogers in the Galway goal. Then in the following minutes, David McDaid had his effort cleared off the line by John Lester after the ball was delivered from a Doherty corner.
U-23 international Seamus Coleman also had a chance to open the scoring when he shot from just outside the area after a mazy dribble. Rogers again saved with relative ease. Russell had two more opportunities to open the scoring within five minutes of the resumation of the second half. His first effort was dangerously palmed by Brush while his second, a shot on the turn was saved by Brush.
The deadlock was finally broken on the fifty-second minute when Cretaro beat Rogers with a floating lob from just outside the area. The ball broke to Cretaro just in the middle of the pitch and he ran ‘til he faced Rogers one on one. Rogers rushed out but Cretaro lofted it over and Rovers went one up.
After this game tightened up and Galway went in search of an equalizer. Russell had another chance on the seventy fourth minute before Danny Ventre felled Derek Lynn in the Sligo area. Upstepped Jay O’Shea to equalize and he hammered the ball past Brush to give Galway a glimmer of hope of staying up.
The final chance of the game fell to Sligo’s Paul McTiernan after a ball from O’Grady. McTiernan broke the defensive line but before he had a chance to offload a shot, Rogers had smothered the chance. It finished 1-1, in a game that could have decided so much but yet leaves so much ‘til the remaining fixtures.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Danny Ventre, Gavin Peers, Mauro Almeida, Seamus Coleman; Brian Cash (Steve Feeney 83), Conor O'Grady, Richie Ryan, Sean Doherty (Paul McTiernan 88); Raffaele Cretaro, Davy McDaid.
Subs not used: Pat Jennings, Matthew Judge, Gary Curran.
Galway United: Gary Rogers; Seamus Conneely, John Fitzgerald, Marc McCulloch, Alan Keane; John Russell, John Lester, Ciaran Foley (Derek Glynn 61), Alan Murphy (Iarfhlaith Davoren 61); Jay O'Shea, Jesper Jorgensen (Vinny Faherty 72).
Subs not used: Alvin Rouse, Levi Tierney.
Referee: Derek Tomney.
Attendance: 2,117
