United fail to break down ten-man Shels in a feisty affair

Shelbourne 0

Keith Kelly at Eamonn Deacy Park

GALWAY United’s bid for a fifth promotion in the club’s history got off to an underwhelming start on Friday night as they were held to a scoreless draw by a Shelbourne side that played for just over half the match with 10 players.

Both teams are tipped to be fighting it out for the title at the end of the season, but on Friday night they were literally fighting it out on the halfway line just before half-time.

This was more than just ‘handbags’ as well – as the two sets of players squared up to each other following a horror two-footed lunging tackle by Glen McAuley on Maurice Nugent, David Hurley was sent sprawling to the deck by a well-aimed punch.

McAuley was shown a straight red card for his disgraceful flying tackle on Nugent, who thankfully avoided serious injury and was able to continue after brief on-pitch treatment. Only time – and the referee’s report – will only reveal whether or not the officials spotted the punch that caught Hurley on the chin.

It was very much a new-look United that took to the pitch – of the starting XI, only Nugent and Shane Duggan were at the club last year as six players made their United debuts: Hurley, Conor Kearns, Conor O’Keeffe, Gary Boylan, Mikie Rowe, and new captain, Conor McCormack,

There had been a simmering tension from the first whistle, with the visiting players trying to intimidate both United and the officials. Things took a nasty turn in the 10th minute when Stephen Walsh was caught by an elbow that gave him a nasty gash above the right eye.

He is as tough as leather, Walsh is, and after a quick wrap of a bandage he was back on the pitch, before going in search of the team doctor after the game to get stitches for a wound that looked like it was deep enough to have exposed bone.

Minutes after that elbow on Walsh, Ryan Brennan was apparently shot or stabbed or tasered or was the victim of some egregious treatment, such was the roar of pain he let out of him when Duggan managed to avoid making any contact with him. The United players were unhappy with the challenge on Walsh minutes earlier, but it was Duggan who picked up the game’s first booking.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.