Athlone Town 1

Galway United 3

Keith Kelly in Athlone

TWO goals in 82 seconds right at the end of the game saw Galway United snatch all three points in a smash-and-grab raid away to basement side Athlone Town on Friday night.

The visitors had taken a 19th minute lead through Rob Manley’s second goal in three games since joining in the summer transfer window, but a disjointed display in which they were second-best in the midfield battles saw them struggle to put away a home side that went into the game 41 points behind United in the table.

As long as there was just a goal in it, there was oxygen in the game for Athlone, and they scored a deserved equaliser in the 88th minute when David Hurley lost possession midway inside his own half and Charlie Lyons backed off Andy Spain, giving the substitute time and space to advance on goal before smashing a piledriver past Conor Kearns from 25 yards.

It was a thoroughly deserved goal that had been coming, but it also sparked a bit of urgency into United, and the sides were level for just over two minutes before Francely Lomboto restored the United lead; and fellow sub, Manu Dimas, wrapped up the win in the first minute of injury-time to keep United on the coat-tails of Cork City in what is now a two-horse race for the title, after Waterford’s defeat at home to Longford Town.

John Caulfield made two changes to the side which had drawn with Cork City the previous week, one of which was enforced. Ed McCarthy’s red card in Turners Cross ruled him out of the trip to Athlone, but rather than hand Mark Russell a start, the United manager opted to give Oisin O’Reilly his senior debut.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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