Shamrock Rovers 0

Galway United 0

THOSE Galway United players headed to the beaches of Europe during the mid-season break this week will have done so beaming as brightly as the Mediterranean sun after an incredible effort saw them take a point from Tallaght Stadium on Friday night.

They might have had to wait until the 73rd minute for the first of their two corners in the game; and until the 85th minute for their first – and only – shot on target, but they got their due rewards for their efforts in defence.

They all stood tall, but Rob Slevin stood tallest of all: the referee had to ask him to empty his pockets in the 69th minute when Michael Noonan was being substituted, as that is where the United man had the teen sensation kept all night.

He threw himself into header after tackle after block, and played a major part in United keeping just a third clean sheet of the season, as well as securing a third successive draw away to the Hoops, only the second time in the club’s history they have gone three away games against Rovers without defeat.

United stuck with the same XI that started the 2-1 win over Cork City the previous weekend, with the only changes coming on the bench, as Killian Brouder and Bobby Burns returned to the match-day squad, with Brian Cunningham and Junior Thiam the pair to make way.

They lined out with a flat back four, with Cian Byrne and Vince Borden sitting just in front offering protection, the third game that the Tribesmen have reverted to the set-up that proved so effective last season, rather than the 3-man defence they utilised for most of this campaign.

Rovers have employed three-at-the-back formation for years, and they stuck with it again on Friday, despite going into Friday’s game missing two of the regular starters at the back, with Dan Cleary suspended and Lee Grace out injured.

That saw Adam Matthews and Cory O’Sullivan partner club captain, the Cape Verde international Roberto Lopes, in front of goalkeeper Ed McGinty.

Josh Honohan returned to the starting XI for Rovers, having missed their 2-1 win over Derry a week earlier. The wing-back was last month named in the Republic of Ireland squad for the friendlies with Senegal and Luxembourg in the coming days, and he was watched on Friday night by Republic of Ireland manager, Heimir Hallgrimsson, and his coaching staff, including John O’Shea.

United lost the coin-toss, but won the opening stages, putting their hosts under pressure from the start with a high press that caused all kinds of discomfort for the Hoops.

It was particularly effective when Rovers stuck with a short kick-out routine: so much so, in fact, that McGinty finally abandoned that approach on his fifth goalkick, opting to boot the ball up towards half-way, which was the first time in the game they crossed unto the United half.

The Tribesmen had a few sights of the Rovers goal in those opening stages, but never managed to test McGinty. The keeper was beaten by a 20-yard bullet from Borden, but unfortunately for United, his effort fizzed wide.

The league leaders seemed to be caught by surprise by the intensity and application of United, which was a terrible folly on their behalf, but they soon settled into things, and the opening five minutes apart, United were mainly on the back foot.

They looked comfortable enough in that regard, with Rovers only really going close twice from their dozen or so efforts on goal in that opening 45 minutes.

The first scare for United came in the ninth minute when Graham Burke played a one-two with Honohan on the left before drilling a ball across the face of goal from the endline. It was crying out for a touch, but the touch came from Slevin – of course – who cleared.

While McGinty had a comfortable enough opening 45 minutes apart from those stressful early kick-outs, Evan Watts – who retained his place between the sticks for United – had to have his wits about him, such as in the 12th minute when he got down well to push away an Aaron McEneff effort.

Pictured: Galway United’s Rob Slevin who produced an outstanding defensive display against league leaders Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night.