Sligo Rovers 0

Galway United 0

IT ended honours-even in the Showgrounds on Monday night in the first top-flight Connacht derby in seven years, a result that lifts Galway United to fifth in the table ahead of their most daunting game of the season this coming Friday, a trip to the Tallaght Stadium to take on Shamrock Rovers.

Monday’s tie was a refixture after the original game, which was scheduled for a fortnight earlier, was controversially postponed because of concerns over strong gusts in Sligo, despite the fact an AIL rugby game was able to take place on the same day a few miles out the road in Strandhill.

It was a sunny day on Monday, with rain promised for later in the evening, but thankfully the threat of sunburn or of getting wet was not deemed a sufficient enough danger by the authorities in Dublin to pull the plug on this game.

It was still a job of work to get to the game, even without the wind. Close to an hour was added to the two-hour journey time from the city due to the closure of the Tuam bypass for resurfacing works, and temporary traffic lights on the Sligo side of Tubbercurry which reduced traffic to a single alternate lane for 2kms or so.

The United supporters’ bus had just passed Tubbercurry about 34kms – or just over 20 miles in ‘old money’ – from the ground as the teams lined-up for the pre-match handshakes, but eventually 2,627 souls settled in for a renewal of a provincial dogfight that had a little bit of bite to it, and no harm in that either.

Both sides will be happy with a point, which was probably the fairest of possible outcome, but both will also have reason to disappointed not to have taken all three on offer. The home side hit the woodwork, blazed one sitter over the crossbar, and headed wide from a couple of yards out with another glorious chance.

Pictured: Galway United’s Conor O’Keeffe tussling for possession with Evan Caffrey of Shelbourne during Friday night’s Premier Division tie at Eamonn Deacy Park. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.