Galway United 1-2 Drogheda United

• Diarmuid Kelly
• Thu, May 26 2011




Drogheda United moved above Galway United in the Airtricity Premier Division with a well deserved victory in a veritable six pointer in Terryland Park on Thursday night. A first senior goal for Mickey Gilmore was cancelled out and then bettered by Darragh Hanaphy and then Mark O'Brien in the second half.

The first half was almost all Galway and by the 23rd minute they had the lead through young starlet Mickey Gilmore. Offering something new in attack since his gradual introduction to the team in the past few weeks, the striker opened his account with only Galway’s second goal in Terryland Park this term. After collecting a ball over the top from another promising youngster Shane Keogh, Mikey Gilmore coolly slotted past Stephen Trimble in the Drogheda goal with consummate ease.


Indeed Gilmore would prove a thorn in the Drogheda defence for the remainder of the half. His tenacious running forced many errors from the travelling defenders and he found himself in shooting positions twice. Philip Hand had to recover quickly to deny him a guilt edged opportunity before the forward met a deep Paul Sinnott cross with a header he had no right to meet given his stature.


Alan Murphy was the perfect foil for the young forward but Murphy was visibly straining to meet balls and had to withdraw at halftime. This coupled with a few inventive changes in the Drogheda attack saw the power shift in the second half.


The introduction of Darragh Hanaphy and Cillian Thompson gave the visitors added penetration up front. It didn't instantly tell as Enda Curran almost doubled the Galway lead when set through by Gary Kelly, the former overshot his lob however and Drogheda soon made it tell.

Halftime substitute and injury doubt before the game, Hanaphy proved the catalyst. After Hand and McNamara linked up well down the left, the latter found Hanaphy with a low cross and the nippy forward made no mistake from three yards in the 64th minute. Three minutes later and the turn-around was complete. After collecting namesake Colin O’Brien’s quick free kick, Mark O'Brien controlled and shot. Fleming saved but could do nothing about the rebound as O'Brien finished with aplomb.

Drogheda went for the kill from here but couldn't add to their lead; O'Brien should have doubled his tally but scuffed wide with the goal at his mercy. Enda Curran could only head over as the best chance at an equaliser sailed away in the stiff breeze, indeed Drogheda should have sealed it on the break but Daniel Corcoran couldn't beat Fleming from eight yards.


Galway piled the pressure on in the final ten minutes but couldn't find that elusive opportunity to find the net. With the last kick of the game Mikey Gilmore shot wide after Curran’s header was saved by Trimble, and with that the game was settled.

Drogheda are now level on points with Galway United and will be delighted with the manner of the comeback. It looked all Galway in the first half but the combination of the withdrawal of Alan Murphy for Galway and the introduction of Hanaphy for Drogheda swung the tie.


Galway United: Greg Fleming; Paul Sinnott, Shaun Maher, Steven Walsh, Shane Keogh; Bobby Ryan, Steve Feeney (Eduardo Dusi, 42), Gary Kelly (Brian Cash 70), Karl Moore; Mikey Gilmore, Alan Murphy (Enda Curran, 45).
Subs not used: Conor Winn, Joseph Yoffe, Rory Gartland, David Cullen.
Bookings: Gilmore (73).

Drogheda United: Stephen Trimble; Colin O'Brien, Philip Hand, Victor Ekanem, Alan McNally; Stephen Quigley, Steve McCrossan (Cillian Thompson, 45), Mark O'Brien, Darragh McNamara; David Freeman (Darragh Hanaphy, 45), Daniel Corcoran.
Subs not used: David Quirke, Sean Skelly, Robbie Gaul, Mark Nolan.

Bookings: C O'Brien (36), M O'Brien (55).

 

Referee: Graham Kelly.

Attendance: 650
Extratime Man of Match: Mark O'Brien, he was prominent throughout.