Galway United 1

Derry City 0

THE first time Galway United won the First Division title, back in the 1992/93 season, they followed it up a season later with a third-place finish in the Premier Division.

That remains United’s best finish 30 years on, but they are on track to repeat the feat after the 2023 First Division champions deservedly took down the league leaders in a cracking game of ball at Eamonn Deacy Park last Friday night.

Patrick Hickey – what a signing – scored the all-important goal 14 minutes from time when United finally got the benefit of the doubt from a referee at the third time of asking in the last couple of months.

Eoghan O’Shea had ruled out a winning goal for United against Bohs in July, and fellow whistler, Daniel Murphy, came to the rescue of St Patrick’s Athletic last month when making a similar incorrect call, but it was a different story on Friday.

Cork referee Kevin O’Sullivan got it bang on the money when ruling that Brian Maher’s costly spill was a result of a clash with his own player, rather than any contact with a United man, and the goal stood as United extended their unbeaten home record to nine games and – whisper it – inserted themselves right in the conversation for European qualification.

A top-three finish in the league will secure a trip to Europe next season – and a fourth-place finish will be enough if a team in the top three wins the FAI Cup. Derry City will host Shels in the cup quarter-finals next weekend, and the winner of that will be hot favourites to lift the 102-year-old pot in November. It might soon be time to check the passports.

United went with the same XI for the fourth successive game, while the visitors showed two changes from the side that robbed a 1-0 win down in Waterford a week earlier, with Cameron Dummigan ruled out with a season-ending hamstring injury, and Ben Doherty starting on the bench.

Pictured: Galway United’s Killian Brouder in a race for possession with Derry City’s Adam O’Reilly during Friday night’s Premier Division tie at Eamonn Deacy Park. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.