Soccer
Galway FC advance to quarter-finals of EA Sports Cup
Galway FC 1 Finn Harps 0
Galway FC are through to the quarter-finals of the EA Sports League Cup, but a largely second string made hard work of it against Finn Harps in Eamonn Deacy Park yesterday evening.
If Friday night’s performance against Waterford United in the league was of the ‘sublime’ variety, then this was from the ‘sloppy’ range as the home side were grimly holding on to Vinny Faherty’s early goal for large stretches of the game.
Tommy Dunne made eight changes to the side that defeated Waterford United in the league on Friday night, with only Colm Horgan, Alex Byrne and Faherty retained from that starting XI as the manager opted to give his extended squad a run.
In something of a gamble, be opted to start both Sean Gavin and Shane McGinty in the heart of midfield, and given the fact they were up against a Harps side that packed midfield in a 4-5-1 formation, the inexperienced duo struggled early on.
However the early nerves looked to have been settled with an early goal courtesy of Faherty. Jake Keegan made space on the left to hit a dipping volley from 20 yards which beat Shaun Patton but hit the far post, but it pounced back in to the danger area and Faherty side-footed home from eight yards.
The visitors did enjoy more possession than any other side that has visited Eamonn Deacy Park this season, and as the half wore on they looked more and more of a threat. Paul McVeigh – who was proving a right nuisance for the Galway defence – went close in the 25thminute when he was picked out in the box by James Doherty, but his connection was poor.
Three minutes later and McVeigh got sight of goal again, applying the slightest of touches to Johnny Bonner’s corner from the right, but Horgan was on hand to clear off the line. Young Doherty regularly got forward from full-back for the visitors, but tried his luck from distance on three occasions, but each time his effort flew well over Ger Hanley’s crossbar.
Josh Mailey was allowed to advance from midfield on the half-hour mark, strolling past the challenges of Shane McGinty and Cian Fadden before letting fly from 20 yards, but while his shot had Hanley beaten, it crashed back off the base of the post.
The visitors were cutting through the Galway midfield at will, but Hanley’s goal survived until half-time, although the home side did threaten late-on through Derek O’Brien, the captain for the night putting in a couple of good crosses from the left, but there was no-one at home to get on the end of them.
Galway improved in the early stages of a second half that was largely played 20 yards either side of the half way line, and they offered more of a threat when Stephen Walsh and Ryan Connolly were introduced to the action.
Walsh was on the pitch for less than a minute when he got on the end of a Faherty pass, but his shot from 20 yards was comfortably saved by Patton. Still, it was the first shot on goal by the home side in that second half.
The introduction of Paul Sinnott helped shore-up the over-run Galway midfield, and chances were at a premium but McVeigh should have forced the tie into extra time two minutes into injury time when Mailey picked him out in the box, but with time and space, he fired wide from 12 yards.
“It wasn’t the best performance we have had this year, but in saying that we are in to the quarter-final of the league cup; we had a lot of players get game time; we kept a clean sheet, so overall you can’t be too disappointed when that happens,” Dunne said after the game.
“We took a bit of a chance in a sense that a lot of lads who got a start tonight hadn’t been featuring, you could see some of them getting a bit ‘leggy’ around the 60 minute mark, and two games in a weekend is tough for guys too
“That said, to get the two wins this weekend helps from momentum side of things, the lads are putting a lot of time and effort into it, we’ll be hoping we can go to Tallaght next Sunday and pick up three points – if you’ve any aspirations of keeping up with Shels, I think we might have to pick up three points,” he said.
So Galway FC join Derry City, Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers, Cork City, and the winners of the ties between Wexford Youth and Cobh Ramblers; Longford Town and Mervue United; and Bohemian FC and St Patrick’s Athletic.
Galway FC: Hanley; Owens, Fadden, Byrne, Horgan; Shanahan, Gavin (Connolly 72), McGinty (Sinnott 82), O’Brien (Walsh 71); Keegan, Faherty.
Finn Harps: Patton; Doherty (Flanagan 85), C Bonner, Mailey, J Bonner; Tiofack, Fisher (Black 70), Forker (McCann 85), Harkin; McVeigh, Mailey.
Referee: Ray Matthews (Midlands).
Friday the 13th – unlucky for some – and Galway United will be hoping it is an unlucky night for runaway leaders Shelbourne on Friday evening. Shels, who are currently 10 points clear of second place United, are still unbeaten in this year’s First Division with 12 wins and six draws to their name.
The Tribesmen go into this week’s pivotal fixture after a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Cork City last Friday at Eamonn Deacy Park. The game had a ‘hit-and-run’ feel to it as Colin Healy’s side snatched all three points with ten minutes to go which ended United’s seven-game unbeaten league run.
BY TOM BYRNE
Even so, United replaced Treaty United in second place on goal difference after the Limerick outfit were defeated 4-1 by Cabinteely at the Markets Field.
Shelbourne have been the team to beat this season as they look odds-on to win this season’s First Division with nine games to go. Ian Morris’ side were hampered by a number of Covid cases in their squad for last week’s game against UCD, where they drew 0-0 at the UCD Bowl. It is expected that they will have players returning for their crucial clash against United at Terryland.
The two clubs have faced each other on 75 occasions. Shelbourne being victorious the more often with 39 wins, United defeating the north-Dubliners 17 times and 19 games ending in stalemate. United have hit the Shels net 86 times while the 2019 First Division winners have scored on 132 occasions against United.
The two teams played out a 0-0 draw at Eamonn Deacy Park in the first game this season, while Shelbourne had the upper hand in the reverse fixture when they overcame United 4-0 at Tolka Park in May.
Goal friendly Shels have struck 36 goals in 18 games so far this campaign, with former Shamrock Rovers man Ryan Brennan bagging ten of those. United will look to Wilson Waweru and Ruairi Keating for their main source of goals, with the latter hitting the net on seven occasions this season. Waweru brought his goal tally to six last week when he scored United’s first equalising goal against Cork City.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the soccer preview, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.
Galway United 2
Athlone Town 2
GALWAY United had to twice come from behind against basement side Athlone Town on Monday night to snatch a draw that was, on balance, probably a little harsh on the visiting side.
Completely outplayed in the opening 45 minutes, United had an absolute howler from visiting goalkeeper, Aaron Myles, to thank for going into the break on level terms; and then needed an equaliser five minutes from time to claim a draw against a side that came into the game having lost all four games they had played this season.
Alan Murphy’s side already find themselves nine points behind the league leaders just four games into the season, and a major improvement is needed if they are to finish in the top half of the table and inside the play-off spots.
Their central midfield was way off the mark on Monday night – both Maurice Nugent and Sam Warde were hauled ashore before the final whistle – and having abandoned the 4-4-2 formation which delivered some decent results near the end of last season, they are struggling to get quality ball into the opposition box.
With Shane Duggan expected to return to central midfield after suspension for this Saturday’s trip to Cobh Ramblers, it might be time to go with some out-and-out wingers and get some cohesion in the side.
The first couple of half chances on Monday fell to the home side, but Mikey Place didn’t get any power behind his second minute effort; while Marc Ludden was well off target subsequently.
The visitors, who had the opening half’s best player in their ranks in the guise of Galway native, Ronan Manning, went close a couple of times themselves in the ninth minute, United surviving thanks to Cian Murphy getting a block on Adam Lennon’s shot; while Kevin Horgan pulled off a ‘worldie’ to deny Joel Coustrain from the subsequent corner.
By that stage, the visitors were starting to get on top, and they took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute when Manning’s corner from the left was met by Taner Dogan at the back post to head home as the United marking was, not for the first time this season, shambolic at a set-piece.
Tempers were starting to fray a little, with both sides having two players finding their way into the notebook of Dublin referee, Oliver Moran, before United were gifted an equaliser in the 41st minute.
Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune
Paul Corcorcan
GALWAY WFC notched a second win in a row in the Women’s National League when they defeated Limerick 6-1 at the Markets Field on Sunday afternoon.
A McKenna Doyle hat trick and goals from Sadbh Doyle, Chloe Singleton and Aoife Thompson helped the Galway women to a resounding win. Five of the six goals for Galway were assisted by Lynsey McKey during what was a stellar performance by the experienced midfielder.
Galway WFC are back in action at Eamonn Deacy Park tomorrow (Saturday, kick off 3pm) when they welcome league leaders Peamount United.
See full match report in City Tribune Sport.
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