Set-piece nightmare continues to haunt Galway Utd rearguard

Galway United 0Dundalk 3Hector 33 & 70, Quigley 41

Keith Kelly

GALWAY United slumped to a fifth consecutive defeat on Friday night as their abysmal failure to defend set-pieces once again cost them dearly.

Sean Connor’s side had actually marginally shaded the opening exchanges, but once Michael Hector headed the visitors in front just past the half-hour mark, there was only ever going to be one winner as United heads dropped.

One Friday’s evidence, it is difficult to see how United can climb out of their current slump, as the defence is always liable to concede – just two clean sheets in 11 league games – and once the inevitable happens, the brittle confidence of the United players disintegrates. 

Whatever self-belief they have is not helped by having cuts at each other on the pitch, and if Sean Kelly devoted just a fraction of the time picking up his man at set-pieces as he spent bawling out youngster Shane Keogh for any error, then there is a chance United would have taken something from Friday night’s game.

It was he who was supposed to be picking up Michael Hector at set-pieces, but the central-defender got his name on the scoresheet twice on Friday night as easily lost the United man for both of his goals, yet you didn’t see Keogh or anyone else screaming at Kelly for errors which were far more costly than any mistake Keogh made. It is easy to talk the talk, but walking the walk is a different story.

The main difference between the two sides was United’s chronic inability to defend set-pieces, and Dundalk’s clinical approach in front of goal. The visitors had just two efforts on target in the first half, but scored both times to all but end the tie before the half-time cup of tea. 

The fact United were marginally the better side for much of the opening 45 minutes is the bright light at the end of the tunnel, but the hope has to be the light is not that of an approaching train. Alan Murphy put in a decent shift, as did Stephen Walsh and Karl Moore, while Mikey Gilmore was full of running when introduced in the second half, but it is difficult both to see where any goals will come from, and how United can stop conceding, especially so cheaply.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.