Doherty goal not enough to save United from latest loss
Limerick 2
Galway United 1
AN abysmal second-half performance saw Galway United slump to an 11th defeat of the season on Saturday – and their ninth by just a single goal.
Leading 1-0 at the break courtesy of a 33rd minute Shane Doherty goal, the visitors were a complete shambles in the second-half, and were horribly exposed down their left flank in particular, which proved the origin of Limerick’s two second-half goals that saw them make it two wins from two over United this season.
It took United a while to settle in the opening exchanges, but once they found their rhythm, they shaded the opening 45 minutes and took a deserved lead into the break, though there was a touch of good fortune in the build-up.
Stephen Walsh’s attempted crossfield pass was well off the mark and should have been cut out by Shane Tracy, but the Limerick man somehow let the ball run under his foot and into the path of Dara Costello.
He took off into the Limerick penalty area before pulling the ball back for Doherty, who fired into the roof of the net for his second goal in as many games, having pulled a goal back against Longford after being introduced as a substitute the previous Monday.
However, United were completely outplayed in the second-half, and both Walsh and Marc Ludden will need to take a serious look at their positioning not for the two Limerick goals, but in general in the second-half.
The equaliser came in the 52nd minute when United – not for the first, or last, time – left far too much open ground on their left flank. Sean McSweeney turned Ludden far too easily and played a ball into the path of Shaun Kelly, who had raced into clear ground. He played a 1-2 with Conor Ellis before curling in a cross which Lee Devitt met at the near post to tap home.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.