Galway United 0

Waterford FC 3

Keith Kelly at the Markets Field

A season that started with so much hope with a 1-0 win in Turners Cross back in February ended in failure once again last Friday night to leave perennial underachievers Galway United facing yet another Discover Ireland tour of the First Division next season.

In some ways, you could say United were hard done by on Friday: they saw one effort come back off the post, another cleared off the line, and also had a penalty saved, but in truth, Waterford were the better side and deserved the win.

United showed just one change from the 3-0 second-leg semi-final win over Longford Town, with Ronan Manning coming in to the side for Bastien Hery, who dropped to the bench.

As for Waterford, they showed two changes from their second-leg 3-3 draw with Treaty United but, tellingly, went with the same XI that demolished the Limerick side 4-1 in the first-leg of their semi-final at the Markets Field 10 days earlier.

United seemed content to sit back and let Waterford have the ball in the opening stages of last Friday’s game, with a press that stopped along the half-way line, compared to the high-line adopted by Waterford’s front men when United had the ball at the back.

It was that pressing which led to the opening goal in the 10th minute, a calamity of errors by United giving Waterford a leg-up that they certainly didn’t need. A lazy no-look pass by Adam Thomas just inside his own half went straight to Wassim Aouachria, who was then almost disrobed by the United man in his clumsy bid to win back possession.his clumsy bid to win back possession.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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