Shelbourne 1

Galway United 1

After extra-time

(Shelbourne win 5-3 on penalties)

By Keith Kelly at Tolka Park

IT feels like Galway United lost more than a cup game on Friday: given the big names that have fallen after just two rounds, they also lost a huge opportunity to hang maroon ribbons off the famous century-old cup for just a second time in the club’s history.

Rovers and Pats didn’t make it past the first hurdle this year, and Dundalk fell at that stage as well. Waterford and Sligo suffered shock home defeats against lower league opposition at the weekend, clearing the way for a real shot at glory this year, but it is a shot United won’t get.

Penalty shoot-outs are a lottery but to be honest, the outcome this time around went the way of the better team on the night. United did have their moments, and possibly the better chances in a normal time that was a real difficult watch, but it was the hosts who played more on the front foot and looked the better side

The game was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of arguably the League of Ireland’s greatest-ever manager, Jim McLaughlin: the Derry native won eight league titles in his time as a manager in the league, including with Shelbourne in 1992.

United went with the same starting that began the 1-1 draw against St Patrick’s Athletic the previous weekend, but there was no place on the bench for Junior, who missed out through injury, with Bobby Burns recovering from a knock of his own to return to the match-day squad at the expense of his former team-mate at Glentoran.

The home side enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the opening half, but the better chances fell to United, the best of which was a Jimmy Keohane snap-shot just short of the half-hour mark that was cleared off the line by Paddy Barrett.

Pictured: Galway United’s Francely Lomboto tussling with Paddy Barrett of Shelbourne during Friday’s FAI Cup clash at Tolka Park.