Galway United 2 - 1 Drogheda United

• Alan Dooley
• Fri, Aug 20 2010


Resources may be stretched to the limit, but Galway United under Sean Connor are showing they lack nothing in battling qualities as they moved out of the bottom three on Friday night after recordeding their third win of the season over second-from-bottom Drogheda United in a game dominated by three second half penalties.

Stephen O'Donnell converted both penalties for the home side, his fourth and fifth such efforts this season, while Glen Fitzpatrick slotted away his 12 yard effort for the Drogs, who have now lost five on the spin and are surely now condemned to an away relegation play off at least, once they can hold off the the challenge from Bray Wanderers.

Drogheda were lively from the off, keen to end their barren run in front of goals that stretched to 310 minutes when the game began. But while the build up play was impressive, with Glen Fitzpatrick, Darren Meenan, and Ryan Brennan combining well, a killer instinct was vitally missing, as Darragh McNamara and Eric McGill were both wasteful.

Jamie McKenzie led the redrafted Galway backline impeccably, getting in a number of telling blocks and interceptions, and when Galway finally began to realise that Derek O'Brien had oceans of space to work in on the left flank as Meenan was slow to get his hands dirty with defensive work, they gradually got a foothold in the game.

Karl Sheppard headed goalward on 39 minutes but Corie Treacy was well placed to intervene; the young striker had earlier hit the outside of the post from an awkward angle. The move of the energetic Stephen Walsh forward to partner him as Jason Molloy was sacrificed seemed to pay dividends as Galway were rampant and Eric McGill was moved to try and quell O'Brien's raids.

As the second half began, referee Tom Connolly was forced to retire to the fourth officials dugout as a hamstring injury put paid to his whistling activities. Padraig Sutton took his place and was to have a busy half of it.

Drogheda's Peter McMahon tested Barry Ryan early into second half proceedings with a decent right footed drive, and the same player ought to have scored from a lot closer ten minutes in when Meenan cut in from the right on the break and the left winger was denied by Barry Ryan's legs.

In an instant, Galway were down the other end of the field and Sheppard sprinted clear, reaching the ball just ahead of Robert Duggan. The striker went down, Sutton pointed to the spot, and Stephen O'Donnell netted his sixth goal (all from set pieces) with an expertly taken penalty.

Drogheda were level, though, within six minutes when Sutton awarded his second spot kick of the game when Philip Reilly brought down Ryan Brennan rather needlessly and Glen Fitzpatrick ended Drogheda's barren run by sending Ryan the wrong way.

Neither side had another chance of note before Darius Kierans' side were reduced to ten when McMahon picked up his second booking and the winning goal arrived seven minutes from time when Sheppard broke away down the left flank and cut back cleverly for Tom King, whose shot was blocked by the arm of Ryan Brennan in the eyes of linesman Damien McGrath.

O'Donnell went the same way and again found the corner of the net and Galway went away relieved to have gained their third home win of the campaign with their sights now firmly set on Dundalk, only a point above The Tribesmen in sixth spot.

Galway United: Barry Ryan; Seamus Conneely, Jamie McKenzie, Philip Reilly, Stephen Walsh; Gary Curran, Stephen O'Donnell, Ciaran Foley (Tom King, 69), Derek O'Brien; Karl Sheppard, Jason Molloy (Gary Kelly, 40).
Subs not used: Liam Grant, Evan Preston Kelly, David Sheppard.

Drogheda United: Robert Duggan; Corie Treacy, Alan McNally, Michael Daly, Eoghan Osborne (Peter McMahon, 22); Darren Meenan, Ryan Brennan, Paul Crowley, Eric McGill; Glen Fitzpatrick, Darragh McNamara (John Flood, 69).
Subs not used: Paul Skinner, Jamie Harris, Conor Sinnott.

Referee: Tom Connolly.

Attendance: 750 est.

extratime Man of the Match: Jamie McKenzie.